About the event

Leamington’s Nature Patchwork is a new initiative between Warwick District Council, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (WWT) and several community partners, designed to inspire and connect people to help nature by creating wildlife habitats in their gardens and community spaces.

As more people get involved, these small patches are linked together and we begin to join up nature as a patchwork of habitats in people’s gardens, schools, green spaces, allotments, parks and more.

By connecting our different patches, we help wildlife to thrive, finding food, shelter, and safe places to raise their young. At the same time, we bring people closer to nature. It doesn’t matter if your patch is small, it’s part of a larger patchwork that can make a real difference. 

The event, running from 11am to 3.30pm, features information stalls, children's activities including a fun trail to answer nature-themed questions; expert talks on a range of wildlife subject including bats, bees, butterflies and birds; and wildflower patch workshops.

Councillor Will Roberts, Portfolio for Neighbourhood at Warwick District Council said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and other local community groups to bring this fantastic free event to the district.

“Community-led action is so important when considering how to help wildlife survive and thrive. Working together, finding unique and creative ways to help nature – whether it’s making a hole in the bottom of your fence to create a ‘hedgehog highway’ or putting up bird or bat boxes – really can nurture wildlife habitats in our towns and villages.

“I’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more to come along to this free event, which we hope to make a regular occurrence around the district.”

To celebrate and symbolise the vision of a patchwork of nature-rich spaces across the town, local sewists have created a beautiful fabric patchwork map of Leamington Spa. Coordinated by Sandy Hunter from Lott Bazaar, these talented sewists have donated their time and resources, making lots of individual patches depicting local nature and sewing them all together. You can see this nature patchwork displayed at the event on Saturday 8 March.

One of the sewists, Anna, has also created a mascot, Lemmy the Patchwork Bear. Lemmy can be found on Instagram and will be posting alongside nature and wildlife in Leamington. Follow @Lemmy_loves_nature and, if you would like Lemmy to visit your patch of nature, let Lemmy know!

Wilder Communities Organiser for WWT in Leamington, Jo Harper, said, “I am delighted about the coming together of local people to support wildlife. The idea of Leamington’s Nature Patchwork came from the local community, many of whom expressed sadness and concern to see ever fewer hedgehogs, birds, bees and butterflies in their gardens.

"They wanted to help reverse this decline and to create a Leamington that is rich in nature and an even better place to live.”

Team Wilder Director, Amanda Evans, said "Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is excited to work with the local community and Warwick District Council on Leamington's Nature Patchwork. The concept of everyone doing what they can, however, small, and those actions combining to create something bigger is the embodiment of our #TeamWilder movement.

"#TeamWilder is a growing collective of people who are concerned for the environment and are working together to get their voices heard and better decisions made for the environment so that we can put nature into recovery."

While the Nature Patchwork has started in Leamington because of demand by local people, it is hoped that residents from other towns and villages may wish to this replicate this in their own patch, ultimately to create a Nature Patchwork across Warwick District.