Wild Your Space by Bright Green Nature
Wild your Space (WYS) is a unique grass roots nature restoration programme developed entirely by Bright Green Nature, and funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Phase one of the project started in October 2024 with the objective of building on the success of our existing Microgrant project.
Basically Wild Your Space is all about supporting people to bring back nature to the space that they consider to be their own outdoor space – whether that’s at home, at work, or in a shared area such as a school playground or community garden. We want to inspire people to value and care for their local environment, which in turn will foster a greater appreciation for conservation and restoration in general.
And when we say people, we mean all people. We admit to being particularly passionate about getting young people involved, and enthusing the next generation (Rewilding Our Children is a key objective), but in reality we are keen to connect with all ages and all backgrounds. As such we try to reach out to those who may have been underrepresented when it comes to having opportunities to connect to nature. Building pathways and inspiring positive environmental engagement for all is another key charity aim.
Our Community Engagement Officer (Fraser) works with schools, community groups and individuals across the whole of the Scottish Borders to strengthen people’s connection with nature. Fraser enjoys the support of the of the entire Bright Green Nature team, who are all dedicated to enhancing the awareness and understanding of local wildlife and ecosystems. On-site visits, advice on suitable projects (including native plants) and on-going support are all part of the job. If you are keen to restore nature, to the benefit of both wildlife and people, then we will do whatever we can to make it happen – we will help you to Wild Your Space!
Whilst the Microgrant is an integral part of Wild Your Space, we welcome enquiries and interest from all parties looking to restore nature – whether or not they are considering a funding application. A significant number of projects throughout the Borders have benefited from the microgrant (indeed many could not have started without it) but the Bright Green Nature Wild Your Space project now comprises of a growing variety of components, including: