The map welcomes residents, businesses and community groups to plot actions they have taken for wildlife to create a Wilder St Albans. Actions may include cutting a hole in a garden fence to create a hedgehog highway, building a pond or planting a hedgerow along your field. The map has already received over 60 submissions of actions taken to make our area just a little wilder.

Heidi Carruthers, People and Wildlife Officer for Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, said:

“Every step we take matters, and we want to show how all our individual actions are working together to improve the nature network across our District. Small actions add up and can make a huge difference for wildlife. Anyone can contribute to the interactive map and plot actions that they are taking right now.”

Anthony Rowlands, Chair of the Public Realm Committee of St Albans City and District Council, said:

“Wilder St Albans is one of the many actions we are undertaking to improve the District’s environment and has been well received by our residents.

“The mapping project is a great way to encourage people to take an active part in this exciting project. I am impressed that more than 60 entries have already been made and I’d urge residents, businesses, schools and community groups to join in and show the rest of the District what you’ve done to help our wildlife thrive.”

Collectively, the Wildlife Trusts across the UK are campaigning for 30% of land and seas to be managed and restored for nature by 2030. In Hertfordshire, towns and urban areas make up 17% of the land area, according to the Hertfordshire State of Nature report. This figure is double the national average, which means nature needs even more help to thrive in the county. Nature travels through corridors such as hedgerows and gardens, and the more connected we can make these areas, the higher the chance our wild species will survive.

Visit the Wilder Actions map at www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/wilderstalbans/wilderactions to see how and where people are acting for wildlife across the St Albans District and to share your own wild actions. When you submit and enter you will be sent a wooden plaque to display, to let everyone know that you are helping to create a wilder St Albans. Residents will also be able to see proposals by St Albans City and District Council to increase biodiversity across their parks and green spaces and can press a link on the map to comment on these proposals.