Buglife have secured £51,300 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the exciting Peterborough’s Buzzing project, which will work with local communities to transform mown grassland into colourful, wildflower-rich havens for both people and wildlife.
Buglife will work with the Nene Park Trust and Peterborough City Council to enhance 10 hectares of grassland across the city. These vibrant wildflower-rich areas will create vital habitats for a whole range of bugs from bees to moths, and butterflies to spiders; which have declined in much of the city. The Peterborough’s Buzzing project will be a unique opportunity to bring people closer to wildlife across the city and make it a happier, brighter place to live.
The project will work with local communities in many ways; from sowing seed and planting young plug plants, through to family moth trapping and bug hunt events to see what's moved in! Working with Vivacity at Flag Fen and the East of England Agricultural Society’s Kids Country team, it will create exciting new educational opportunities at key learning sites for the city’s schools.
Jamie Robins, Buglife Conservation Officer said “It’s exciting to think of many of the city’s parks being full of flowers and alive with bees and butterflies. Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, we’re able to work with the Nene Park Trust and Peterborough City Council to help create bug havens across the city. There will be many opportunities to get involved with Peterborough’s Buzzing, from helping to create meadows to simply coming along to an event to enjoy learning about the wildlife on your doorstep”.
Deborah Milligan, Grants Officer at the Heritage Lottery Fund East of England, said: “These small bugs have such a big impact on the world around us! With HLF funding, volunteers, community groups and schoolchildren from right across Peterborough will be planting seeds to help insects flourish. New educational installations will be created at Flag Fen and the East of England Showground’s Learning Barn and volunteers will be trained in skills such meadow management and plant identification to keep those bugs buzzing!”
The HLF funding builds on previous grants secured from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Biodiversity Partnership and the HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust.
