The events are part of the Nature in Your Neighbourhood (NIYN) project. This is an innovative National Lottery Community Fund community-led project in the Staffordshire Moorlands which is centered around community groups making their patch better for nature.  

Residents in the Haregate area of Leek are invited to a Community Conversation event on Wednesday 23 April between 3.30pm and 6.30pm. There are three sites in Haregate that have been nominated for the project, a community space off Haregate Road, along with grass verges in Haregate Road and Carlton Terrace. However, more volunteers are needed to help decide the future of these sites and the project team want to hear opinions from residents. The event takes place at Haregate Community Centre, Queens Drive, Leek, ST13 6DJ. 

Two bioblitz events will take place between 10am and 3pm on Thursday 24 April at Cecilly Brook, Allen Street, Cheadle, ST10 1HJ, and Friday 25 April at Newpool Meadows, Tunstall Road Knypersley, ST8 6SD. They are drop-in events so people can join in for as long as they want to, and no booking is needed. Click on event links above to find out more about each event.

These two nature reserves were nominated by local community groups as project sites for NIYN. They both have well-established groups, local people who are keen to care for them and improve them for nature, climate and community. These events offer a chance for residents to find out more about the nature on their doorstep and chat to volunteers. 

Kathryn Kavannagh, Senior Wilder Communities Officer, says:  

“A bioblitz involves inspecting an area to see what nature you can find and recording your discoveries on the iNaturalist app.  

“These sessions are a great way for nature enthusiasts to learn how to identify and record species in a friendly, fun and informal setting.  

“You don’t need any experience or specialist knowledge, just a smart phone with the iNaturalist app installed and a desire to learn. Pop along and we’ll guide you as you get started!” 

Thanks to National Lottery players, Nature in your Neighbourhood led by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has received £752,415 over five years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. The project will support communities in the Staffordshire Moorlands to restore green spaces that are important to them, whilst also measuring the impacts these changes have on biodiversity and climate mitigation. Project action and learning will be communicated to the wider public using art installations throughout the Moorlands.  

This funding comes from the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change and involve more people in climate action. This forms part of one of the funder’s four key missions in its 2030 strategy, ‘It starts with community’ - supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable.