Project Dates: 1.7.25 to 1.7.27

Habitat Restoration Corridor Pilots

Aiming to establish a Pollinator Corridor across Devon by encouraging 141 Devon Women’s Institute (WI) groups to create small wildflower meadows. The project aligns with the WI’s long-standing commitment to pollinators, stemming from their 2009 “SOS Bees” campaign, and their broader campaigning on Climate Change. The project also connects to BugLife’s B-Lines Project, which works to create series of ‘insect pathways’ running through the country.

Aims and Objectives:

• To provide wildflower seeds to every WI group and as many members as possible.
• To restore biodiversity by encouraging members to create small wildflower meadows in gardens, schools, parks, and public spaces.
• To find funding or support with seeds from experts.
• To launch the project across all parts of the county (South, North, Central, East).
• To raise awareness through education and generate action from membership.
• To sow seeds throughout the county and record their position using the What3Words system.
• To log growing positions onto a QGIS map and into B-Lines (BugLife’s initiative).

Methods:

Through a Citizen Science approach, enabling both qualitative and quantitative methods, the project will be a tangible and practical piece of work (sowing wildflower seeds) that will benefit pollinators and people. Through education for WI members to develop skills and act as contributors through monitoring, identification and data collection methods.

The project will act as a catalysts and enabler for wider communities to raise awareness. The project aims for operational success to be showcased to the National Women’s Institute for replication across England and Wales. In Devon, the project’s continuation will be encouraged beyond its official end date, with positive stories shared in newsletters.

Photos Credits: National Federation of Women’s Institutes