Known for facilitating opportunities for families and children to connect with woodlands for wellbeing, Wild About Our Woods have recently been awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Community Fund to take their work to isolated individuals and families who are continuing to feel the effects of Covid-19.

The funding from the Big Lottery Community Fund – awarded to those who are doing extraordinary things to improve their communities – will support two new arms of the Wild About Our Woods charity which have been developed in direct response to the coronavirus crisis for people in Barnet and Haringey; the Great British Bug Hunt, for those aged 65+, and Nature Connection Activity Packs for children aged 7-11.

The Great British Bug Hunt has been inspired by Kate Evans from Graduate Planet, who created the project in Warwickshire and has kindly allowed it to be replicated for Barnet and Haringey. A 48-page illustrated booklet about nature, involving everything from crosswords and surveys to general information and beautiful imagery, will be distributed to those ages 65+ who have signed up to the scheme. The pack allows for each individual to decide on their level of involvement and includes an invitation to become a part of Nature Calls; a phone circle which encourages reporting of local natural sightings, as well as providing isolated individuals the opportunity to have general conversations.

Each of the illustrated booklets comes with two plants to encourage hands-on involvement and provide a long-term project for participants, helping not only their individual mental and physical needs but also directly positively contributing to biodiversity corridors to support insects through Barnet and Haringey.

The Nature Connection Activity Packs include instructions on how to make everything from a pinecone hedgehog to a felted wand, providing children with the stimulus to remain connected to nature while encouraging their creativity at home. These craft-based packs will be delivered to foodbanks across Barnet and Haringey, providing six weeks’ worth of activities and accompanying craft materials to 300 children aged 7-11.

Janet Matthewson, CEO of the Young Barnet Foundation, has been eager to support this project: “These nature gifts are lovely to receive especially for those living alone during the current difficult time, they can help create an interest or hobby, giving purpose to each day, creating a sense of feeling useful. The project is also distributing up to 1800 nature-based activity packs through Foodbanks and partners to support some of our most disadvantaged children, the positive impact of this on children’s well-being cannot be understated, every act of kindness is welcomed in these difficult times.”

Janine Young, Wild About Our Woods Founder and Programme Manager, comments: “We’ve been really buoyed by the renewed connection to nature demonstrated by individuals across the country during this period of upheaval. We initially created short videos for the children and young people we were working with in schools, to help them pass the time more easily and remain connected to nature during a difficult period of transition, but it quickly became apparent that we could – and should – be doing more.

Our hope is that both the Great British Bug Hunt and the Nature Connection Activity Packs help everyone who gets involved to feel more stimulated, engaged and a part of the world around them.

It’s thanks to the Big Lottery Community Fund that we’re able to positively contribute to so many people’s lives in Barnet and Haringey, and we cannot wait to see the results of everyone’s participation.”