Green space is well known for its ability to improve wellbeing for hospital staff and patients, including improving patient recovery. While this isn’t possible when patients are in hospital receiving treatment or recovering, or while staff are at work, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust hopes to provide the next best thing to physically being out in nature by streaming the experience on screens inside local hospitals.

Staff and volunteers who work at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Willington Wetlands Nature Reserve have partnered with Miller Homes and two of its contractors, KB Scaffolding and Apex Scaffolding to organise the generous donation of scaffolding. 

The scaffolding has been used to create a filming structure and to erect boardwalks and bridges to enable better access for the Trust’s team to carry out wildlife surveying transects and other essential maintenance work to support wildlife on the reserve.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has previously worked with Derby Hospitals to stream images to patients but now, with the help of this donation, hopes to include pre-recorded videos and explore the possibility of live streaming footage as it happens. The hope is to expand the scheme into more local hospitals so that more patients can benefit. The Trust will also make the footage available to the wider public, who may not be able to access the reserve in person, via a secure and dedicated web-link on its website.  

Speaking about the donation, Henry Richards Living Landscape Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Miller Homes, KB Scaffolding and Apex Scaffolding for their donation, which will not only help us to make important improvements to our reserve, but also allow us to take our live streaming project forward and give more people who need it, access to nature even when they can’t visit us themselves. 

“We are incredibly fortunate to have developed strategic partnerships with lots of local and regional businesses in this way who share our concern for the environment. Through their membership, donations, fundraising and ongoing support, we can achieve more for wildlife together than we would on our own.” 

Alastair Parsons, area sales director for Miller Homes Midlands, added: “We are always looking for ways to show our support for local community projects, and we were delighted when we found out about the Willington Wetlands Beaver Project, spearheaded by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust team. It’s a positive initiative that, we hope, will help support the county’s biodiversity, while also inspiring the local residents to take greater interest in the area’s fantastic natural landscape.  

“By being able to donate both materials for the boardwalks and help with the installation of the new camera, we hope the project continues to be a success by providing a safe habitat for the beavers, and that it brings joy to the hospital patients watching the stream.” 

The wetlands at Willington are part of a large and diverse site for wildlife that includes the flooded former gravel pits, extensive reed beds, grassy meadows and wet woodland. Many different species are found there, both as permanent residents and seasonal or migratory visitors.  

Viewers can expect to see bird life all year round, from ducks in winter to sand martins and common terns in summer. Dragonflies and damselflies are plentiful too, and most recently a rare purple heron been spotted at the reserve. After 800 years, beavers were reintroduced in Derbyshire at the reserve and are playing a big part in making Willington wilder.  

Caroline White, Library and Knowledge Service Manager at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust added: “UHDB Library and Knowledge Service and UHDB Audio Visual Services are working in partnership with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to bring nature into the organisation for the wellbeing of our staff and patients. Accessing nature in this way, whilst in the confines of a hospital environment is both positive and engaging for all. Working in partnership with local organisations and businesses is invaluable and has enabled this worthwhile initiative to be realised.” 

Find out more about Willington Wetlands Reserve.