This month, we’re turning our attention to the power of citizen science and how communities across Staffordshire are helping to monitor and protect local wildlife. From tracking hedgehogs in back gardens to recording bird sightings along rivers and wetlands, volunteers are playing a vital role in gathering data that supports conservation efforts.
To celebrate this growing movement, we’re highlighting some of the inspiring work being done by one of our members, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust who, alongside Support Staffordshire, are using simple tools and shared knowledge to make a big impact on biodiversity and environmental awareness. As the county’s leading nature conservation charity, the Trust is doing more than protecting wildlife. It’s helping communities rediscover the joy, peace, and purpose that nature brings.
From Moorlands to Meadows: Protecting What Matters and Futureproofing
With 45 nature reserves covering over 4,900 acres, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is a guardian of some of the county’s most precious wild spaces. From ancient woodlands to restored wetlands, these spaces are buzzing with wildlife—and open to everyone.
But the Trust doesn’t stop at protection. They’re actively working with local authorities and landowners to restore habitats, creating wildlife corridors, and advising developers to ensure that new buildings leave room for nature too.
Education is at the heart of the Trust’s mission. Their team runs:
• Forest School sessions and curriculum-linked fieldwork for schools
• Youth programmes that inspire the next generation of conservationists
• Family-friendly events such as nature walks and wildlife themed fun days
They also champion citizen science, encouraging people to get involved in wildlife surveys and projects like “Grow Don’t Mow,” which turns lawns into havens for pollinators.
Big Projects, Bigger Impact[NL1]
The Trust has led and continues to lead some of the most ambitious environmental projects in the region. These are all different and have different purposes, but each is important in helping the trust achieve its aims and connecting the community with nature.
- Restoring Heathland on Cannock Chase
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is leading a major restoration effort on Cannock Chase, aiming to restore over 25 hectares of rare lowland heathland—one of the UK’s most endangered habitats. This landscape, as fragile as ancient woodland and as rare as rainforest, is vital for species like the Welsh clearwing moth, adder and tree pipit bird. The Trust is managing a heathland corridor leased from Forestry England, using targeted scrub and bracken control to allow heather and other native plants to thrive. Volunteers play a key role, contributing hundreds of hours to conservation tasks, while native cattle help manage vegetation through sustainable grazing. Seasonal walks and new interpretation boards invite the public to explore and learn about this unique habitat, reinforcing the Trust’s commitment to connecting people with nature.
- Peatland Recovery in the Peak District
In the Southwest Peak, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is supporting a two-year Landscape Recovery development project led by the Peak District National Park Authority. The initiative is funded by DEFRA in conjunction with the Environment Agency and Natural England. It encompasses 2,900 hectares and involves over 20 local farmers and landowners; exploring opportunities to work together to rewet peat areas, restore floodplains, and enhance biodiversity. These efforts would not only benefit wildlife—including curlew, lapwing, and bog asphodel—but also contribute to carbon capture, flood mitigation, and climate resilience. The Trust is also active in restoring and rewetting peatland sites like The Roaches, using techniques such as blocking drainage ditches and replanting sphagnum moss. These habitats are crucial carbon stores and water filters, and their restoration is a key part of the Trust’s efforts to increase the county’s resilience to climate change.
- Nature in Your Neighbourhood
This exciting five-year project began in 2024 with £750,000 funding from the Lottery Climate Action Fund. The emphasis is on citizen science, and the project is empowering Staffordshire Moorlands communities to take an active role in restoring their local wild spaces and making them better for nature. Through practical hands-on surveying training and habitat restoration training the community groups will know what to do and how. By surveying nature species in these places at the beginning, during, and at the end of the project, they’ll have the satisfaction of seeing the difference their efforts have made to nature. The project has a dedicated PhD student completing research as the work unfolds, investigating how much carbon each place locks up and how this changes through the restoration work.
The project is a partnership effort with OUTSIDE, an Arts Council and lottery funded group, Moorlands Climate Action, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Keele University, OUTSIDE, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Staffordshire Council Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS).
- Transforming the Trent Valley
Transforming the Trent Valley
From 2019 to 2024, the Transforming the Trent Valley project brought together communities, conservationists, and heritage enthusiasts to breathe new life into the River Trent and its surrounding landscapes across Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Led by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the initiative focused on restoring riverbanks and wetlands, improving habitats for wildlife, and conserving cultural landmarks. It also created new walking and cycling routes, including the Trent Valley Way, helping people explore and enjoy their local environment. Through school programs, volunteering, and community events, the project inspired thousands to reconnect with nature and take pride in the rich heritage of the Trent Valley.
This video celebrates the success of the project.
- Trent ReNEW
Trent ReNEW
Trent ReNEW is a collaborative effort led by the Environment Agency, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, and Support Staffordshire, focused on restoring the River Sow through Stafford and the Trent headwaters in Stoke-on-Trent for nature. These rivers have long been shaped by human engineering, but this project is working to restore their natural flow and vitality. By re-shaping channels, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and creating diverse habitats, Trent ReNEW is helping wildlife thrive—from insects and fish to birds—while also improving water quality through natural filtration. Every intervention is carefully modelled to ensure it doesn’t increase flood risk, and in many cases, it helps reduce it. At its heart, the project is about working with nature to build resilience, support biodiversity, and create healthier, more vibrant landscapes for both people and wildlife.
- Trent Headwaters
Building on the momentum of past restoration efforts, a forward-looking initiative is now underway to identify future opportunities for protecting and enhancing the upper reaches of the River Trent. Led by a partnership between Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Staffordshire County Council and Support Staffordshire, this project is about more than just landscapes—it’s about people. By mapping potential restoration sites and strengthening local partnerships, it aims to safeguard the river’s natural dynamics for generations to come. Along the way, it continues to inspire communities to reconnect with nature, learn new skills, and take pride in the rich environmental heritage of their local area.
Stafford Brooks
Launched in 2022, Stafford Brooks started as a partnership project to enhance habitats around the many brooks in the county town’s river catchment; with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, National Highways, the Environment Agency, and Stafford Borough Council working together across eight key areas. Since, the project has grown into a programme of works in Stafford, including ecological improvements on community owned land. Examples of enhancements include creating new ponds and lowland wildflower meadows, planting trees, and improving riverbank and confluence structures for young fish.
A Greener, Wilder Future
The Trust believes that nature should be accessible to all. That’s why they’re working to:
• Improve access to green spaces for people of all ages and abilities
• Offer nature-based activities which support mental health and green social prescribing
• Support volunteering that boosts wellbeing and builds community
Whether it’s a guided walk, a tree-planting session, or a quiet moment by a pond, the Trust is helping people find peace and purpose in the outdoors.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is also tackling the big issues—like climate change. They’re restoring carbon-storing habitats like peatlands and woodlands and campaigning for policies that put nature first.
Their vision? A Staffordshire where wildlife thrives, communities flourish, and every garden, park, and riverbank plays a part in a more sustainable future.
A Greener, Wilder Future
The Trust believes that nature should be accessible to all. That’s why they’re working to:
• Improve access to green spaces for people of all ages and abilities
• Offer nature-based activities which support mental health and green social prescribing
• Support volunteering that boosts wellbeing and builds community
Whether it’s a guided walk, a tree-planting session, or a quiet moment by a pond, the Trust is helping people find peace and purpose in the outdoors.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is also tackling the big issues—like climate change. They’re restoring carbon-storing habitats like peatlands and woodlands and campaigning for policies that put nature first.
Their vision? A Staffordshire where wildlife thrives, communities flourish, and every garden, park, and riverbank plays a part in a more sustainable future.
Connecting Communities to Conservation: Support Staffordshire & Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
When it comes to protecting Staffordshire’s natural heritage, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust leads the way—but they’re not doing it alone. Their partnership with Support Staffordshire has been a powerful force for change, helping to bring people, places, and purpose together in support of a greener future.
From river restoration to grassroots volunteering, Support Staffordshire has played a vital role in making sure local voices are heard and local action is supported.
Transforming the Trent Valley
Nature and community came together in a powerful way through the Transforming the Trent Valley (TTTV) partnership—a five-year landscape-scale conservation initiative led by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. At the heart of this collaboration was Support Staffordshire, helping to ensure that local voices, volunteers, and grassroots groups were central to the project’s success.
Support Staffordshire played a key role in distributing over £100,000 in small grants to more than 50 local groups. These grants supported:
- Outdoor learning spaces in schools
- Community gardens
- Volunteer-led conservation projects
- Activities that helped people explore and connect with the River Trent
Citizen science took flight with the Big Washlands Watch. Support Staffordshire helped recruit and coordinate over 40 Wildlife Recording Volunteers, who contributed an incredible 17,000+ wildlife records. They also supported 48 training events, building local skills in wildlife identification and ecological monitoring.
In a creative twist, Support Staffordshire worked with youth groups in Rugeley, Burton, and Willington to collect stories and memories about the River Trent. These were transformed into short films and audio recordings, celebrating the cultural and natural heritage of the area[NL1] .
The TTTV partnership didn’t just restore landscapes—it reconnected people with nature, boosted biodiversity, and strengthened community involvement in environmental stewardship. Support Staffordshire’s contribution was vital in mobilising local groups, delivering funding, and facilitating engagement across East Staffordshire and South Derbyshire[NL2] .
Making Waves with Trent ReNEW
One of the standout collaborations is the Trent ReNEW project, which aims to re-naturalise rivers like the River Sow and the Trent headwaters. These waterways have been heavily engineered over time, and the project is working to restore their natural flow, improve biodiversity, and reduce flood risk.
Support Staffordshire has been right at the heart of it—coordinating volunteers, promoting citizen science, and helping communities get involved. From Riverfly surveys to wildlife recording, local people can be part of the solution, thanks to training and support provided through this partnership.
Greening the Conversation
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust have hosted two Green Conversations as part of the Staffordshire Green Network. This network, led by Support Staffordshire, brings together community groups, charities, and local leaders to share ideas, funding opportunities and practical advice.[NL3]
The result? Stronger networks, new collaborations, and a shared commitment to tackling climate and ecological challenges together.
Building Bridges in the Trent Headwaters
In the Transforming the Trent Headwaters project, Support Staffordshire has helped shape the future of conservation by engaging communities in Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and Biddulph. Their role has included:
• Facilitating consultations on access to green and blue spaces
• Connecting with heritage and history groups
• Supporting the development of a long-term partnership for environmental action
It’s about more than just mapping rivers—it’s about mapping out a future that reflects local needs and aspirations.
Empowering Local Action
Through initiatives like Nextdoor Nature, Wilder Neighbourhoods, and Wild About Tamworth, the Trust supports local volunteer groups—and Support Staffordshire is there to help them thrive. By offering training, governance support, and infrastructure, they ensure that grassroots efforts are sustainable and impactful.
Whether it’s planting trees, restoring habitats, or simply getting people outdoors, this collaboration is helping communities take ownership of their environment.
A Partnership with Purpose
Together, Support Staffordshire and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust are proving that conservation isn’t just about protecting nature—it’s about empowering people. Their partnership is a shining example of how collaboration can lead to real, lasting change.
And with more projects on the horizon, the future looks bright—and wild—for Staffordshire.