Our natural environment is something we often take for granted and only when it is too late do we mourn its loss. We depend on nature in so many ways from the insects that pollinate our fruit and veg to the microbes that nurture the soil that our crops depend on. It’s so important that we protect this precious resource and as a group we’ve been thinking up ways that we can all help.

Nature in Nailsworth (NiN)

This is a community group that has been set up to support nature and wildlife in and around Nailsworth. The group was initiated jointly by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Nailsworth Town Council and NailsworthCAN and its role will be to provide advice, stimulation and expertise to people, community groups and Nailsworth Town Council on the priority actions to take to halt and reverse nature's decline in the local area. NiN will adopt a forward thinking and active approach, based on the best available evidence on what works, to encourage people to help restore nature. NiN will engage local communities to find out what is important to people and will focus initially on the following three priorities:

Work with Nailsworth Town Council to develop objectives for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy Biodiversity Action Plan for the Nailsworth area.

- Engage with local communities in caring for nature, offering a range of stimulating and rewarding projects that will make Nailsworth a better place for wildlife.

- Work with local community groups such as NailsworthCAN to develop and promote practical delivery of projects that serve to reverse nature's decline and accommodate climate change.

Town Meeting

The Nature in Nailsworth stall at the Town Meeting on 16th May attracted a lot of interest. We heard some great ideas for helping nature recovery in and around the town - areas of green space with potential for nature enhancement as well as projects to protect and plant more trees.

Nortonwood BioBlitz

Held on Sunday 20th July 2025 with local families joining local experts and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust 244 species of flora and fauna found.

Positive findings

• A good number of species found, despite it being a wet day

• Lots of moths and butterfly species, and other insects

• Good range of bird species

• A great amenity for locals to enjoy nature

Ideas for improvement

• Opening up some of the canopy to improve the understorey, especially scrub, and encourage other species

• Manage water run off to reduce flood surges and create area to encourage amphibians

• Felled trees to be left to encourage beetles and other invertebrates

• Plant honeysuckle and hazel to encourage dormice

Community engagement

• Raise awareness of the fabulous asset the woods are

• Involve school children and their families in on-going projects and monitoring

• Find creative ways to engage community through art, poetry, etc.

• Use it as an opportunity to improve knowledge of the nature, and how we can all support its restoration.

What can you do?

• Join the wonderful Nailsworth In Bloom team to help keep the town beautiful

• Grow some fruit and veg, either yourself or as part of a community scheme. Find inspiration from our Virtual Edible Gardens

• Support the locally grown fruit and veg available in Nailsworth’s wonderful markets

• Keep an area of your garden wild with a stack of logs, nettles, rocks, meadow flowers or a small pond.

• Work with neighbours to ensure safe passage for the creatures we love like hedgehogs and toads

• Enjoy the green spaces and woodlands around us responsibly