No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” – SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH


spend time outdoors and we rely on nature for our food, water, clean air and many other services. Mostly these services go unrecognised and are taken for granted. To achieve real and lasting change we must make sure everyone feels connected to nature and values the natural world for their own sakes, and to protect and improve our environment for people and for wildlife.


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We need to take people on a journey to explore and discover the wonders of Somerset’s natural world for themselves and to act. We already have a large community of people working with Somerset Wildlife Trust, ranging from volunteers on our reserves and elsewhere, to our Area Groups connecting with people locally, to over 20,000 members, Patrons and legators; from our corporate partners to the vast recording community that provide us with the essential data needed to target our work.


We need to identify where we, as Somerset Wildlife Trust, can achieve the greatest impacts to inspire, engage and connect with Somerset’s communities and we want to know your thoughts. We must make choices about our engagement programme; we could focus on delivering inspiring experiences (educational sessions, events programmes) in targeted areas or we could support communities, teachers and businesses to do this themselves.


Somerset Wildlife Trust, like most Wildlife Trusts,was established by a group of volunteers who cared passionately about the state of the natural world in Somerset. Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Trust from our office volunteers, to our volunteer wardens and groups helping us manage our reserves to our Wildlife


e know that nature is good for us. Research shows that a healthy wildlife-rich natural environment is vital for a healthy human population. Children learn better when they


Watch leaders, the recording community and Area Groups. Working together with this wide range of committed individuals towards shared goals, and inspiring new people to join us as volunteers must be a key focus for the Trust to achieve the greatest impact for nature.


High quality experiences in nature can inspire, change attitudes, motivate action and ultimately be a critical part of the movement to help restore our wild places and wildlife. Our reserves provide a great opportunity for people to experience nature, and we need to consider how we can give visitors the best experience possible. We also need to make sure that nature is on everyone’s doorstep whether they are in the heart of the Levels or the heart of Taunton.


Where can Somerset Wildlife Trust have the greatest impact in engaging, inspiring and connecting communities to take action for nature?


How would you rank these in order of priority?


• Providing more practical conservation volunteering opportunities.


• Supporting community groups to work with us towards our shared goals through training, fundraising support and a shared vision.


• Investing in the support and development of our Area Groups to engage more people in their communities.


• Providing more educational experiences for children and families.


• Campaigning for more environmental education as part of the national curriculum.


• Supporting communities to engage in the planning system to stand up for nature.


• Supporting communities to create and manage wild spaces where they live.


• Supporting wildlife gardening across the county. • Creating wildlife experiences on people’s doorsteps. • Bringing people to our nature reserves to discover the wonders of the natural world themselves.


• Improving the visitor experience on our nature reserves with facilities such as toilets, cafés, shops, cycling and walking routes.


• Opening an environmental education centre for schools and colleges to visit with a full education programme.


• Running a wide ranging events programme providing opportunities for people of all ages to develop skills and understanding about Somerset’s wildlife.


• Providing opportunities for people to improve their health and wellbeing through connecting with nature.


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