Prize giving at Downing College: Ben Buttery Head of Conference Services, Vicky Ambery-Smith, Head Gardener Jack Sharp receives prize from judge Bernard Hunt, Sue Barnard
Wildlife Trust BCN’s Wildlife Gardening at Work Awards 2020
Now Open!
Our Wildlife Gardening at Work Awards encourage and recognise companies and their employees who make a difference for wildlife. It's a great way to give your staff an opportunity to enjoy being closer to nature and boost their wellbeing, especially during this period of social isolation. And of course, nature really needs your help ….
The Awards will be judged by Bernard Hunt from Hunts Wildlife Landscapes and the Wildlife Trust BCN. Winners will be announced in the summer editions of Wildlife at Work and Local Wildlife and through our social media channels.
The Wildlife Gardening at Work Award 2020 categories are:
- Best Wildlife Sighting at Work
- Best Home for Wildlife
- Best Wildlife Garden
Sponsored by Granta Park
You can enter all or any of the categories. Due to the current Covid-19 crisis, all of these categories have been updated to allow employees who are working from home to enter as well. Encourage any colleagues working remotely to start improving their own gardens for wildlife or keeping an eye open for exciting sightings. Then compile any individual entries together for your company entry to any or all of the categories above. Think how this could increase your organisation’s chances…
For inspiration on what you could see just in your garden or from a home office window, look out for social media posts with the #WildlifeFromHome. Remember to tag us @wildlifebcn and use the hashtag in any of your own #WildlifeFromHome posts too!
Whether you’re contemplating a large development or a more modest installation, creating a plan for your space will be time well spent. This is when you and your team can get really creative!
Making your wildlife area attractive to birds, mammals and invertebrates can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. Ideas could range from a ready-made bird or bug box fixed to a wall, to clearing an area of your grounds to build an insect hotel, a planting scheme, build a log pile or perhaps even create a pond. A wildlife garden can be created on even the most modest budget, and using recycled materials can be even better for your wildlife space.
We would like to hear about what you have been doing, what impact it has had and how you have engaged staff with the project. It doesn’t have to be a huge change, as even small steps can make a real difference for wildlife. To help get you thinking about what you could do, see our website for easy-to-follow ideas: www.wildlifebcn.org/actions www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk
Any questions? Please email corporate@wildlifebcn.org
The closing date is Friday 26th June 2020.
Good luck!
2019 Winners
Downing College's bug hotel
Downing College Cambridge scooped the award for Best Wildlife Garden at Work 2019. Staff have worked hard to implement a host of new features and improvements for wildlife such as meadow areas, feeders and diverse planting.
Downing College also won the category of Best Use of Recycled Materials for Wildlife at Work for their beautifully crafted bug hotel.
Water vole at Jesus College credit Rhona Watson
Jesus College Cambridge won the Best Wildlife Sighting at Work award, for its fabulous video footage of a resident water vole taking nesting material into its burrow, a truly rare sight.
Orange Tip at Granta Park credit Darren Bast
Darren Bast won the award for Best Wildlife Sighting at Granta Park by employees based on the site for his stunning photo of an orange tip butterfly.
If you would like advice on how to improve your workplace grounds for wildlife, please contact us for your free wildlife gardening guide.