Act for Nature day at Wolf Fields, and more venues to follow

Our wasteland-to-wonderland vision for Wolf Fields, our urban reserve in Southall, West London, has always been about seeing nature and people flourish, and inspiring visitors to catch the vision and apply what they learn to their own church spaces and land. On 25 June, Wolf Fields was the venue for our first Act for Nature day. There are more planned in other locations from July to November.

Despite the unfortunate timing of the train strike, visitors from across the denominational spectrum travelled from across London and beyond to attend. In the morning, participants had the opportunity to see the transformative work that has taken place at Wolf Fields over the last decade, on a tour led by Reserve Manager Kailean Khongsai. They were able to explore a diversity of conservation activities that could be done in a churchyard or on a small area of community land. There was a special focus on the value of insects for pollination and Kailean and the team gave practical training on growing wildflowers and keeping bee hives.

The afternoon saw Chief Executive, Andy Atkins, speaking about how church mission and care for the environment work together, and the importance of speaking up for nature. Those attending did just that. Wild Christian Coordinator, Jen Plummer, led a session where participants wrote to their MP to ask them to support the Zero Hour campaign for a Climate and Ecology Emergency Bill. This proposed new law, if enacted, will ensure that the UK addresses the climate and nature loss crises together. Over lunch and in the afternoon, there was ample time to simply enjoy creation during our Wild Christian activity and to enjoy each other’s company.

Four more Act for Nature Days are scheduled for the summer and autumn: in Northern Ireland (Hugh’s Meadows on 23 July), North Essex (Foxearth Meadows on 3 September), Wales (St Madoc’s on 13 October), and Dorset (Hilfield Friary on 12 November). We’d love to see you there if any of those are in your neck of the woods. Next year we hope to stage more, including in the Midlands and the north of England.