Work to protect and enhance Basingstoke and Deane's natural environment has received a boost thanks to the efforts of volunteers who have more than doubled the number of hours spent carrying out conservation in a year.  

More than 15,650 hours have been clocked up from April 2023 to April this year in support of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s pledge to encourage nature recovery in the borough and tackle the ecological emergency, as part of its newly-adopted biodiversity strategy.   

This includes 9,874 hours of work – more than double than the previous year - completed by 227 conservation volunteers across 17 volunteering groups and over 1,385 hours recorded through corporate working days, organised through the council.   

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This tremendous effort supports the work of the borough council’s Ranger team which manages over 300 hectares of green space across the borough and the council’s biodiversity, tree and grounds maintenance teams.  

The conservation volunteer groups help to restore and manage borough council sites and are supported by the council and Natural Basingstoke.   

Over the past couple of years the volunteer group Friends of Wigmore Heath have helped transform Wigmore Heath in Tadley, which was in a poor condition, restoring it back to a biodiverse lowland heath.

And Mill Field Local Nature Reserve is being restored back to species rich grassland that supports a variety of reptiles, mammals, birds, invertebrates and wildflowers thanks to the work of Mill Field Conservation Group and the council’s corporate volunteering programme. The council’s corporate volunteering programme provides volunteer opportunities for employees from local companies to carry out practical conservation work.  

There are many more examples of groups working across the borough in areas including Beggarwood Park, Black Dam Ponds and Crabtree, Chineham, Daniel Park in Whitchurch, Hatch Warren, Jubiloaks in Oakley, Kempshott, Marnel and Popley, Oakley, Old Down, Overton and South View.  

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Cabinet member for the climate and ecological emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “As a council we have declared an ecological emergency which means we have committed to take action to reverse the decline of nature in the borough. We cannot do this alone. Working with partners we have agreed a strategy to tackle this emergency and now together we must protect and restore our green spaces.   

“Through our work with Natural Basingstoke and the conservation groups, great gains are being made and this would not be possible without the time our wonderful volunteers give to support these areas of importance. Our volunteers are highly valued and I’d like to thank them all for their commitment and dedication.  

“Conservation volunteering brings so many benefits from being outside in the fresh air and exercising to supporting areas in your local community to thrive and learning more about nature – why not give it a go?”  

People can find out more information about the conversation groups in the borough at naturalbasingstoke.org.uk.