Wilder Village Project
Hatfield Peverel Parish Council joined Essex Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Towns, Wilder Villages project in August 2022. The project has the following visions for wildlife and people:-
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Vision for Wildlife We need more, bigger, better and crucially connected spaces for wildlife. Joined up, nature-rich spaces allow plants, animals, seeds and water to move from place to place and enable the natural world to adapt to change. It gives plants and animals more places to live, feed and breed. To recover, wildlife cannot be confined to nature reserves. Our towns and villages can be part of a nature recovery network, they can act as stepping stones and corridors for wildlife to adapt and thrive. |
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Vision for People We need more and better access to nature for all. We need to be connected to wildlife. Spaces for wildlife need to be publicly accessible. The link between green or blue spaces and health has now been recognised, there is evidence there are multiple benefits to reconnecting people and nature. We need wildlife and wildlife needs us. Our towns and villages can provide those vital gateways to the natural world. |
Wildlife Champion Donna Goddard is leading the project with support and assistance from the Parish Council’s Environment Advisory Group. Progress to date is detailed below. |
Environmental Policy
Our first step towards a wilder village was to agree on an Environmental Policy. The Parish Council approved the policy at their meeting on 15th May 2023 which can be read at this link: Hatfield Peverel Parish Council Environmental Policy
Wilder Village Brainstorm
We then sent out a "Wilder Village Brainstorm" survey to help prioritise the objectives and brainstorm ideas for actions. To read the survey results click this link: Hatfield Peverel Wilder Village Brainstorm Survey Feedback.
Environmental Plan
We used the feedback from the survey to put together a “Wilder Village Plan”. There were many iterations of the discussion process during which the plan’s name changed to better reflect the broader nature of the work to be done. The plan was approved by the Parish Council on 2nd June 2025. To read the plan click this link: Hatfield Peverel and Nounsley Environmental Plan 2025.
Action
We are now working on the actions in the agreed plan, one of which is to expand the rewilding initiative started in 2024. Read the article below for more details. Tap the photo to open the document or visit our Open Spaces page for an interactive map.
Hatfield Peverel Wildlife Champions
The “Hatfield Peverel Wildlife Champions” is a group of Hatfield Peverel residents inspired by Essex Wildlife Trust’s Urban Wildlife Champion project which aims to reconnect people with nature, inspiring and empowering them to act for wildlife in their local area. We meet when needed to work on wildlife projects in the village. The work is fun and very rewarding!
Get involved!
For further information about the Wilder Village project or volunteering with the Hatfield Peverel Wildlife Champions, please contact:
Donna Goddard, Hatfield Peverel Wildlife Champion
Phone/Text: 07789 175333