Trafford Nature Connections

An 18 month project working with allotment plot-holders in Trafford to explore and develop nature and climate friendly approaches to allotment management.

Circular-City CIC have been awarded funding from the National Lottery to deliver our new project, Trafford Nature Connections. We will be working with allotment plot-holders in Trafford to explore and develop nature and climate friendly approaches to allotment management.

Whilst the main purpose of allotments is for growing food, they also provide many other benefits. As urban greenspaces are coming under increasing pressure from human activity, allotments can play an important role in protecting and enhancing nature. The UK has experienced huge declines in the numbers of bird, insects and plants - urban allotments can provide essential habitats for wildlife, offering food, shelter and breeding grounds, as well as acting as key wildlife corridors in urban areas.

93% of Trafford allotment holders who completed our survey indicated that they were concerned or very concerned about biodiversity loss. However, only half of all respondents felt well or very well informed about using nature-friendly approaches to productive growing on their plot.

In order to support allotment holders to feel more empowered to confidently use nature-friendly approaches on their plots, Trafford Nature Connections will facilitate a series of focus groups with plot holders across the borough. These in turn will help to inform a series of in-person workshops. We will organise group visits to various nature-friendly growing sites across the region. Finally, we will work to develop nature-centred growing resources and a nature and climate friendly allotment handbook. The handbook will be co-produced with those allotment plotholders who get involved with the project.

Throughout the project, there will be a strong focus on nature-connectedness, using the “Five Pathways to Nature-Connectedness” - an evidence-based approach to improving the relationship between people and nature.

Keep an eye out for a further update very soon! This will include dates and times for the focus groups, which will take place at venues in different parts of the borough and will be open to participants from any Trafford allotment site.