You can take action as an individual, or join a Team Wilder community group. Team Wilder community groups are passionate and motivated to bring about positive changes for nature across the two counties. The Trust can help you by providing training, resources and toolkits, as well as connecting you with other like-minded groups and people for you to share your ideas with.

The key elements of Team Wilder are:

Community Action: Encouraging individuals to make small, meaningful changes like wildlife-friendly gardening and waste reduction

Collaboration: Partnering with schools, businesses, and groups to boost biodiversity efforts

Nature Recovery: Supporting the Trust’s goal to achieve 30% of land and sea dedicated to nature’s recovery by 2030 through local habitat protection and restoration

Practical Support: Offering tools, guides, and inspiration for actions like planting wildflowers and creating ponds or campaigning locally for nature

Thanks to a recent funding boost, the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is expanding its support to the Petersfield area with a new Wilder Communities Officer covering Petersfield, Winchester and Basingstoke. 

Steve Bolton would love to hear from communities in our area looking for support - whether it’s advice on habitat creation, biodiversity monitoring, rewilding local spaces, or establishing a new group. If you have a project you would like support with or advice on please get in touch with him: [email protected]

More information and inspiration is available on the Team Wilder webpages, where you can also sign up to the newsletter and add actions onto the map. The Wildlife Trust’s Community Hub is a useful resource with guides on everything from setting up a community group to insurance and funding.

Steve Bolton, Wilder Communities Officer, Winchester, Basingstoke & Petersfield