Conserve Challenge - activity guidance

When planning your Award activities, the qualities or attributes of your wild place will be key to considering appropriate Conserve activities. 

Our aim is always to protect, preserve and enhance those attributes, allowing natural processes to thrive. Sometimes our well-intentioned efforts can make a place less wild, so we ask you to think carefully about the long-term impact and plan for sustainability of your activities.

As part of our Award criteria, we ask that participants are involved in the planning and decision making of their Award, so this is a great discussion topic for your group!

 Questions to consider:

• Will your activities support the restoration, protection and/or conservation of your chosen wild place?
• Will your activities enable natural processes to thrive?
• Could your plans benefit humans but have unforeseen negative impacts on other species in your wild place?

Examples

Tree planting

We all know that trees are an essential part of a healthy ecosystem. They help fight climate change by sequestering carbon, provide homes and food for wildlife, and boost our own physical and mental health BUT we need to be thinking ‘right tree, right place’.

The Discover and Explore challenges provide opportunity for research – could tree planting actually harm existing biodiversity? Wetland or grassland areas, for example, are unlikely to be the right locations for tree planting.

Where possible, native tree species suited to the location with care being taken to source seed or saplings responsibly. The Woodland Trust has lots of great advice and offers free trees to schools and community groups. Are you planting at the right time of year? Can you continue to care for your trees once they’ve been planted? If not, who will? Saplings do need some aftercare until established. 

If your wild place is in a woodland, there could also be lots of seeds already in the ground waiting for a chance to grow so you don’t need to spend a lot of money buying new trees – they could already be there and just need the right amount of light and a space to grow in.

Natural regeneration

This is a natural process where trees and shrubs and other native plants have self-seeded and spread themselves. If you are considering removing this new growth, the reasons for doing so should be carefully considered. Speak to the landowner if you are considering conservation activities around natural regeneration. We would usually only recommend this for non-native species such as Sitka spruce.

Established woodland

Adding artificial bird boxes and bug houses can be unnecessary and will detract from the wildness of the place. An established woodland with veteran and ancient trees provides an abundance of natural nesting sites and homes for a wide variety of wildlife. Why not spend some time with your group learning about the natural nesting and hibernation sites for animals in your woodland?

An alternative activity for this type of wild place may be to think about removing invasive non-native plant species such as rhododendron, helping to protect the diversity of natural woodland fauna and flora.

Clearing fallen branches and deadwood can appear to make your wild place tidier, however deadwood provides crucial habitats for fungi, insects and birds. You can read more about the importance of deadwood here.

Feeding and planting for wildlife

Making bird feeders and hanging them in a school playground, or a community garden can be a lovely way to support and engage with wildlife, as long as feeders are regularly cleaned and kept free of disease and mould. They also need to be removed during bird flu outbreaks to prevent wild birds congregating and passing on viruses.

This activity will also alter natural behaviours by increasing dependency on humans. Once again, it’s all about considering the right activity for your wild place and thinking about the sustainability of your actions. Can you make long-term impact by planting berry rich hedgerows or plants? Provide and maintain a water source by building a wildlife pond, if space allows. Where space is limited, a shallow tray of pebbles can be great for bees, butterflies and other insects. 

If planting for wildlife is your focus, you will have researched the best species for your wild place as part of the Explore challenge. What’s growing naturally? What can you plant to provide nectar and pollen for pollinators throughout the year? Here are just a few options for year-round pollen.

Winter – snowdrop, crocus, primrose, hazel (catkins)

Spring –  dandelion, white dead nettle, apple blossom, foxglove, cow parsley.

Summer – chives, thistles, teasel, scabious, clover, lavender, honeysuckle, cornflower, poppy, wild strawberry

Autumn/Winter – ivy, hawthorn, blackthorn and lots of seed producing plants such as thistles and grasses.

Rethinking weeds

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘ a weed is just a plant in the wrong place’ but as Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1878, a weed is ‘ a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered’.

Did you know that there is no botanical classification for weeds? Many common weeds are an important source of food for the insects that live in that area, for example, dandelions are an important early source of food for hoverflies and other insects.

By thinking of many of the common UK ‘weeds’ as wildflowers, we can better understand and appreciate their value to people and wild places and protect them for the future.

Nettles

Nettles - did you know that……

• Nettles support over 40 different kinds of insects - caterpillars of the small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies use them as foodplants
• Nettles provide food for seed-eating birds
• Ladybirds feast on the aphids that shelter among them
• Nettles have health benefits as food for humans. They are full of iron and can be used instead of spinach, made into soup, tea or even nettle beer!
• Nettles can provide natural materials for crafts and dyes

Clearing overgrown ground

You may be looking to clear a patch of brambles or overgrown ground to introduce an area for people to enjoy nature however we’d like you to consider how this benefits wild places. Are you removing an area of wildness for people at the expense of nature? It may look wild and overgrown to you, but how many nooks and crannies does it create that provide homes for wildlife, especially smaller animals like spiders or ladybirds? How can your actions be beneficial to both people AND your wild place?

Taking care of your wild place

Biosecurity is a set of precautions and measures put in place to prevent the spread of pests and diseases such as fungi, bacteria and viruses that might then infect plants, animals or fungi. Some things to consider to help protect your wild place: 

Before Award activity

• Check and clean equipment – – Inspect boots, clothing, tools, and vehicles for soil, seeds, or organic material and remove it and thoroughly clean equipment before arriving at the site. This will minimise the spread of pests and disease.
• Use local materials – If bringing soil, plants, or water, source them locally to avoid introducing non-native species.

 After Award activity

• Clean boots & equipment – Scrub and wash off soil, seeds, or organic matter before leaving the site.
• Dry gear thoroughly – If working in water environments, ensure boots, nets, and tools are dried completely to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
• Dispose of waste properly – Remove any plant cuttings, soil, or water responsibly to prevent contamination. Some invasive species, if cut back then left in a pile outside can start to root and grow again, so you need to be careful not to transfer waste or seeds to a new area of your wild place.