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Biodiversity

Biodiversity and Making Space for Wildlife

Making Space for Wildlife is a working group that reports directly to the Parish Council and has links to South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) Climate and Nature Emergency Community Engagement. The Making Space for Wildlife committee has four volunteer members (one of which is a Parish Councillor) and meets regularly throughout the year.

As climate change becomes increasingly significant, improving our natural environment and its biodiversity is ever more important. Making Space for Wildlife is a Parish Council initiative aimed at raising awareness and initiating projects to help increase the biodiversity in our area.

Olveston Parish Council Biodiversity Butterfly
Olveston Parish Council Biodiversity

What is Biodiversity and why is it important?

Biodiversity is the whole variety of life on Earth, all species of plants and animals, their genetic variation and the habitats and ecosystems they are part of. It includes not just the rare or the threatened but also the wildlife that is familiar to us in the places where we live and work.

The Living Planet Report 2022 is WWF’s most comprehensive study to date of trends in global biodiversity and the health of our planet. The latest flagship publication reveals global wildlife populations have plummeted by 69% on average since 1970.

Biodiversity is important for its own sake, along with the many benefits we derive from the natural environment – products like food, fibre, wood and water; services like pollination, nutrient cycling, soil formation, water purification, flood defence and opportunities for reflection and recreation – all are critical for our wellbeing and survival.

Like other parishes in South Gloucestershire, Making Space for Wildlife has created a Local Nature Action Plan (LNAP) that sets out what we will do to help nature’s recovery in the coming years.

The Making Space for Wildlife objectives are to:

Olveston Parish Council Biodoversity

In recent years this has included:

  • Tree planting and creating small wildflower meadows
  • A hedgehog survey, with a view to help increase hedgehog numbers
  • The installation of swift nest boxes on St Mary’s Church and the Parish Hall
  • Commissioning of an Ecological Survey of the Old Down Quarry and establishing a Future Management Plan for this Parish Council owned asset.

Getting Involved

You can help improve our natural environment in many ways click here for some ideas on what you can do individually. Making Space for Wildlife is always looking for people to help with initiatives and projects within the parish and welcome any help you can give. To find out more, contact the Clerk to the Parish Council using the contacts link at the top of the page.

Click here for the Making Space for Wildlife Committee Terms of Reference