NEWS February 2021 - Wild fowering our village

The WOTWATA Biodiversity Group is taking the frst steps in wild fowering road verges and other public spaces in and Thorpe Arnold. Two projects are coming along. We are partcipatng in the County Council (LCC) Urban Wildlife Group WOTWATA Biodiversity Verges scheme and the Parish Council received £ 300 from the SHIRE Environ- ment Grant for a wild fowering project the Wolds village sign, opposite to the in both villages. entrance for the Waltham Hall Nursing Home. A blue heart sign, from the BLUE A607 road verges campaign, indicates both spaces. For the Urban Wildlife Verges project, an LCC ofcer and an LCC worker visited on What will happen now? Tuesday 16th February to inspect several Up to mid-September, both verges won’t proposed locatons. As a start, for the be cut, so grasses and fowers can fully 2021-2022 season, two spots qualifed grow. To fnd out about the biodiversity, for the Urban Wildlife Verges project, between the end of May and the begin- both along the A607 in Waltham on the ning of July a plant survey will be done Wolds: one at the village entrance from in collaboraton with NatureSpot of the and the other at the entrance Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. from . From mid-September through to the be- ginning of October volunteers from the The frst wildfower verge will be created WOTWATA Biodiversity Group will mow at the Grantham entrance, on the lef the two verges. Afer 7 days, allowing side of the A607 between Mere Road the seeds to disperse, all cutngs will be and the 30 mph road sign. It’s a teardrop removed. To fnish the job a wildfower shaped verge. The second one is locat- seed mixture will be sown. And yes, we ed at the Melton Mowbray entrance, have to be very patent, because the a long strip verge also on the lef side result can be seen in spring and summer- of the road startng at the Waltham on tme 2022.

More public spots This spring season we will start preparing some more public spots in the villages to be wild fowered, places that stll have to be chosen, and we will ask villagers to create their own (small) wildfower garden at home.

Links | WOTWATA PC website - www.wotwatapc.org.uk/biodiversity | BLUE campaign - bluecampaignhub.com | NatureSpot - www.naturespot.org.uk

Are you interested? Any questons? Contact WOTWATA Parish Council Councillor Estelle Slegers: [email protected] or 07943 166 441