Wildlife Connections is a project led by Chester Zoo which encourages local people to take action to help their local wildlife. We’re asking everybody to help create a network of safe spaces for wildlife by taking simple steps such as recording wildlife, opening up gardens to hedgehogs or toads and growing wildflowers.
A key part of the Wildlife Connections campaign is ‘Wildlife Champions’ which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Wildlife Champions allows us to train up community group leaders to champion wildlife within their group but also in the wider community. We’re working locally in Cheshire, the Wirral, Merseyside, Halton and North East Wales to recruit Wildlife Champions from all parts of the community. Champions will gain knowledge, resources and inspiration in a series of workshops provided by Chester Zoo staff with support from conservation organisations working locally. They will then decide with their group how they can take action for their local wildlife.
Once signed up as a Champion you can attend one of our exciting, informative courses. The first Wildlife Champions course is running throughout April. Champions can either come to the course at Chester Zoo which is two full days (10am – 3pm) on Saturday 16th and 30th, or the same course is running over four afternoons (1pm-3pm) at The Junction in Warrington on the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. Both of these courses cover the same topics, so champions can choose which location best suits them.
One of the easiest things you can do to help wildlife is record what you see around you. We’ve created a simple wildlife recording form on the Wildlife Connections website that you can use to record what wildlife you see, which will then be passed on to your local record office.
Sign up to be involved, record wildlife and share what actions you’re taking for wildlife by going to: www.chesterzoo.org/connections
For more information about Wildlife Connections, or if you would like to sign up to our Wildlife Champions course, contact Manon Keir, quoting “Community Action Wirral”, on [email protected] or call 01244 389828.
