Derbyshire Wildlife Trust’s Wilding Chesterfield project has received £245,000 in support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to aid nature’s recovery in the town’s urban spaces and make it a priority for the people who live there.  

The latest State of Nature Report, released by the Trust in June, lays bare the reality that many of Derbyshire’s landscapes are fragmented, degraded, and struggling to support wildlife.  

With urban wildlife under increasing pressure, the Wilding Chesterfield pilot project aims to turn the town’s streets into homes for the species that were once thriving there, such as hedgehogs, bats, swifts, and the Big Five pollinators: flies, wasps, bees, butterflies and moths.  

Thanks to National Lottery players, the project will focus on identifying the state of urban wildlife, restoring existing species and their habitats, and growing resilient populations, through community-led action across the town.  

Wilding Chesterfield will offer a vibrant programme of community events and workshops, empowering local residents with knowledge and tools to create wildlife-friendly neighbourhoods.  

From creating hedgehog highways so they can move safely through gardens and installing swift boxes to replace dwindling nesting sites, to providing bat boxes to support these vital nocturnal pollinators and recommending pollinator-friendly plants for gardens and shared green spaces, Chesterfield is about to get wilder. 

To support communities with the delivery of the two-year project, the Trust will be working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council, and it has recruited a dedicated Urban Rewilding Programme Officer to focus on habitat creation and monitoring, and a Wilder Connections Officer to support action at community level.  

Katherine Clarke Strategic Lead for Urban Rewilding at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: 

“Nature and people are both struggling. As wildlife declines, many of us feel increasingly disconnected from the natural world which can affect our wellbeing and fuel climate anxiety. Wilding Chesterfield is about responding to that.  

“Through community-led action, we’re creating space for nature in the town’s streets, supporting the recovery of species, while also helping people reconnect with wildlife where they live. We can't wait to start working towards a greener, more resilient Chesterfield where both people and nature can thrive together.”  

Councillor Martin Stone, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for climate change, planning and the environment, added:  

“We’re proud to work with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and our community to help make nature a priority in our borough. The Wilding Chesterfield project complements the work we are delivering through our management of grassland, wildflower meadows, tree planting and other initiatives that aim to create spaces for nature to thrive.  

“This project is really exciting because it aims to help local people connect with nature and understand how they can help wildlife to thrive. This will foster a new generation of stewards that will help ensure our borough is a welcoming place for nature for decades to come.” 

Find out how you can take part in Wilding Chesterfield