An exciting new idea is taking shape amongst the good folks of Wellington, Langford Budville, Milverton, Wiveliscombe and a host of villages in between. We would love to see the area managed with wildlife in mind – creating a patchwork of biodiverse habitats that will help in our local and national aims in nature recovery. The idea was kickstarted when Nick Benge (of Rodborough Rewilders and Kittisford Acre) called a meeting on 24th November 2024, where over 40 people got together at the Beambridge Inn to share their knowledge and expertise.

One idea to come out of that evening was to create a directory where people could share skills and support each other in their nature restoration projects; the other was the idea of the wildlife corridor. The idea is broadly to create a network including local groups, eg Greener Langford Budville, Transition Town Wellington, Wild Wivey, Milverton Conservation Group etc., as well as landowners, businesses and individuals who are managing their land (or part of it) for wildlife, or would like to. We already have the support of the Somerset Wildlife Trust, and will be looking to parish and town councils to collaborate too.

We’re really excited at the thought of the Wellington Green Corridor extending all the way to Langford Heathfield Nature Reserve and beyond to Wiveliscombe. Eventually, we’d love to see the whole region connected with wildlife corridors– from the Brendons to the Blackdowns to the Quantocks – to create a more nature-rich and species diverse countryside. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

We are at the very start of this project, and are very happy to hear from people in the area with their thoughts, ideas and feedback. Initial contact for comments or more information: Ian Loudon, ifloudon@googlemail.com For more info here’s the link to the Wild Wivey page