top of page
Vegetable garden.jpg
Farming and Nature Recovery

Building Community Resilience across Pewsey Vale through Nature Recovery and Farming Initiatives

Nature recovery and farming initiatives integrate ecological restoration with food production. 

Nature and Biodiversity this Autumn

The days are getting shorter. The leaves are beginning to turn orange, red and gold. Autumn is a busy time for wildlife. Hedgehogs look for a place to sleep. Please check your bonfires before you light them! Birds need extra food to keep warm. The good news? Your family can help with lots of small, easy things. Some don't even need you to lift a finger!

​

Leave it a bit messy

  • Make a leaf pile. Rake fallen leaves into a corner. Hedgehogs and other bugs love to hide and sleep in them.

  • Build a log pile. Keep twigs and branches from pruning. Stack them up. Newts, beetles and other bugs will snuggle in for winter.

  • Make a bug hotel. Reuse old wood, sticks and pine cones to give insects a cosy home.

  • ​

Food and water

  • Fill the bird feeder. Seeds and grains give birds the energy they need to stay warm. You could try growing your own Sunflower seeds.

  • Top up the bird bath. Birds need fresh water to drink and wash. Check it often, as it can freeze.

  • Add a small water dish or pond. Keep it shallow with rough edges or a ramp, so any bug that climbs in can climb out.

 

Plant for the spring

  • Plant spring bulbs. Choose native bulbs that bees love, like bluebells. Buy them from a garden centre – never dig them up from the wild.

  • Plant a tree. Autumn is a great time. One apple tree can be home to birds, moths, spiders and beetles.

  • Clean or put up a bird box or bat box. Small birds or bats may shelter there on cold nights.

 

Get out and get involved

Go for a family nature walk and spot the birds you see. You can share your sightings using apps like iRecord or eBird. This helps experts keep track of local wildlife. You can also join in with local groups. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust runs events for all ages, like tree planting. Locally, Great Green Bedwyn brings people and farmers together to help nature and the climate. Sign up to their newsletter to see what’s on offer. You could also  volunteer to help maintain a local footpath or nature space like Jones Mill near Pewsey.

Small things add up. If every family does one thing this autumn, our gardens and green spaces can become a big, safe home for wildlife.

​

Ideas for activities:

Build a Bird Box with RSPB plan HERE

Build a Bug Hotel with the Woodland Trust HERE

Build a bat box with the Wildlife Trusts HERE

What you can do this winter (2026)
​

A warmer, wetter winter can leave gardens waterlogged and disrupt the seasonal rhythms of local wildlife. Now is the time to set up your water capture systems and rain gardens to slow and capture rain water for future use.

Homeowners and gardeners can help by keeping soil covered with plants or mulch, replacing impermeable surfaces with greener, free-draining areas, and planting a varied mix of native flowers, shrubs and hedging. Leave seed heads, logs and some long grass undisturbed to provide food and shelter, offer clean water, and avoid pesticides and peat-based compost. Small, thoughtful changes can turn every outdoor space into part of a healthier local habitat.

​

Stop Using Pesticides

  • Avoid chemical weed killers and bug sprays in your yard.

  • Pesticides harm helpful insects like bees and butterflies.

  • They also wash into soil and water, hurting animals that eat the bugs

 

Reduce Waste and Consumption

bottom of page