The time local volunteers have spent carrying out nature conservation work to protect and enhance the borough’s natural environment has grown by more than 2,000 hours in a year.

Over 12,000 hours were given by nature conservation groups from April 2024 to April 2025 to support Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s pledge to help nature recover and tackle the ecological emergency, up from 9,874 hours in the same period last year.

To thank the 251 volunteers responsible for this tremendous effort, a garden party with food and live music was held on Friday (13 June) at the Walled Garden in Basingstoke. Cabinet Member for Climate and Ecological Emergency Cllr Chris Tomblin joined the celebrations to show his gratitude to them and the 18 nature groups they belong to.

These groups, who are supported by the council and Natural Basingstoke, help to restore and manage green spaces owned by the council to benefit wildlife and local communities.

Their work supports the council’s rangers, who manage over 300 hectares of green space in the borough, along with its biodiversity, tree and grounds maintenance teams.

Great crested newt populations have suffered rapid decreases in recent decades due to habitat loss but, thanks to the Popley and Marnel Conservation Group’s ongoing efforts to care for Popley Ponds, numbers are now on the up, helping to reverse the decline of this rare amphibian.

Other recent successes include the careful management of woodland and scrub at Sherfield Park by the Sherfield Park Conservation Group to help reptiles, birds and insects thrive. Biodiverse lowland heath habitats are being restored in Tadley, thanks to the efforts of The Friends of Wigmore Heath group and the council’s rangers.

And last autumn, nature volunteers from 10 different conservation groups including in Basingstoke, Overton and Whitchurch joined the council’s rangers to sow thousands of wildflower seeds across 14 acres of land. As these wildflower meadows bloom in coming years, they will provide new food and shelter for insects including bees and butterflies and help to restore the very rare and fragile wildlife-rich grass chalklands that were once common in the southern part of the borough.

Cllr Chris Tomblin said: “The 12,052 hours our volunteers have committed to nature conservation efforts over the past year is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s an increase of over 2,000 hours compared to the same period last year and equivalent to someone working with no breaks for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for more than a year.

“Working with our communities to reverse the decline of nature in the borough is a core part of our biodiversity strategy and I am so grateful to each and every person who has given their time and expertise to help us protect our natural environment.

“We are making great progress together but there is always more to do and the conservation groups are always looking for more people to join them. There are so many benefits, including getting exercise, being outdoors in the fresh air and making new friends, and so I encourage everyone to think about whether they could get involved too.”

Growing the diversity of native plants and wildlife on its land and working together with communities to enhance and create habitats were two of the priority actions the council set for itself when it adopted its biodiversity strategy in March last year.

Opportunities to become a nature conservation volunteer can be found at https://NaturalBasingstoke.org.uk

Staff at local businesses that want to foster stronger team relationships and meet corporate social responsibility goals can get involved in free outdoor conservation days run by the council’s rangers. More information is at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/green-space-volunteering