Exeter Schools and Communities Invited to 'Plant Your Park'

A local leading charity is planning to brighten up 12 of the city’s public spaces by creating a series of beautiful urban wildflower meadows.

Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) is beginning work this month to add colour to Exeter’s city streets.

‘Plant Your Park’ is part of the ongoing Exeter Wild City initiative – a joint venture between DWT and Exeter City Council to help wildlife and create opportunities for local people to engage with and enjoy the natural world around them.

Plant Your Park’s coordinator is DWT’s Emily Stallworthy. Emily explained: “This is a wonderful way of transforming local green spaces for people to enjoy. It will also provide great places for our city’s wildlife to flourish in.

"The project will be working with schools and community groups, planting wildflower seed beds. At the moment we are talking to Exeter City Council about locations, but we’re aiming to bring more colour, interest and wildlife to places around the city.”

Emily continued: “The project is being funded by the Big Lottery and Devon Doctors. Their help means that we’ve been able to buy more than 50 kilos of seed which contains wildflowers including cornflowers, red campion, lady’s bedstraw and corn camomile. Each of these is an ideal plant for local bees, butterflies and moths. The hope is that these newly planted spots will be buzzing with wildlife in the months and years to come.”

A similar project took place last year with Exeter Wild City working with children from St David’s Primary School to plant four wildflower meadows in the city’s St Bartholemew’s Cemetery.

The initiative proved hugely popular with the pupils and a real boost to local wildlife.