A whole Devon town is gardening for wildlife to conserve and enrich the local environment.

The Gardening for Wildlife project is a new initiative to encourage residents to provide food, water and shelter for wildlife and to manage their gardens to enhance habitats.

To show their commitment and to encourage others across the parish to participate, wildlife gardeners are displaying signs in their gardens.

Chudleigh Wild Chair, Dave Smallshire said:

“The enthusiasm for our Gardening for Wildlife project has been fantastic. We’ve only just started, and already over 60 signs have been displayed by local people who want to show their determination to garden for wildlife. Children are taking up the challenge too and have been building bug hotels, log piles, putting out hedgehog houses with food and water and feeding the birds.

“By working together I believe we can make a big difference to our local environment for now and for the future.”

Chudleigh Wild is a community organisation which started five years ago to gather and share knowledge of wildlife, enhance habitats and to keep an eye on potentially damaging development in the Parish. 

The Gardening for Wildlife project is encouraging residents to welcome pollinators and other wildlife into their gardens. Residents are asked to do at least one thing each from a list of ideas which includes providing food, water, shelter and change of garden management.

Chudleigh Wild is also encouraging wildflowers into open spaces by setting aside areas to encourage pollen and nectar rich plants which will benefit insects.