A day of practical activities, inspiring conversations and ideas for making more space for nature brought people together in St Paul’s on Saturday.

Cheltenham Action for Nature’s Cheltenham Gardens for Nature event welcomed local residents to The School House Café and The Greenhouse for a day of talks, activities and opportunities to share ideas about how our gardens and neighbourhoods can support nature.

There was a lively atmosphere throughout the day, with plenty of conversations about wildlife-friendly gardening. Butterfly Conservation Gloucestershire, Steve and Janine (who grow eat andsell produce frrom their garden), and Brockworth Hedgehog Rescue were on hand to share ideas and answer questions, while Alison from the Community Rest Garden helped people swap plants and discover new ways to bring more wildlife into their gardens.

The pop-up nature garden was a particular highlight, showcasing simple ideas that can be introduced into gardens and outdoor spaces. And it wasn’t just people who were interested – the garden attracted some visiting pollinators during the day too.

There were plenty of opportunities for children and families to get involved. Mindy from Badger Wood Adventures Forest School led hands-on activities, while visitors could make nature-inspired crafts and explore different ways of creating habitats for wildlife.

Dave helped people make 24 wooden bird boxes to take home and put up in their own gardens, while bikes were also repaired during the day – demonstrating that looking after our environment can take many different forms.

Sharing knowledge and inspiration

The programme of talks and activities gave visitors the chance to learn from people with a wealth of experience in gardening, wildlife and nature.

A huge thank you goes to Charlotte O’Neill, Claire Piper, Rosa Dam and Richard Sillence, who generously gave their time to share their knowledge through the talks and guided walk.

Their contributions provided practical ideas and inspiration for people wanting to understand their gardens better and create spaces where wildlife can thrive.

Ideas for nature in St Paul’s

There was also a chance to think beyond individual gardens.

At The Greenhouse, Councillor Tabi Joy and Ashleigh Davies hosted conversations with local people about how St Paul’s could become greener and more wildlife-friendly. Ideas ranged from creating more habitat and planting to thinking about how public spaces and the wider neighbourhood could work better for nature.

It was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from residents about the changes they would like to see in their local area.

Thank you

Cheltenham Gardens for Nature was made possible by the many organisations, volunteers and individuals who contributed their time, knowledge, equipment and enthusiasm.

Thank you to The School House Café, The Greenhouse, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation Gloucestershire, Brockworth Hedgehog Rescue, Badger Wood Adventures Forest School, Community Rest Garden, our speakers, volunteers and everyone else who helped make the day happen.

And, of course, thank you to everyone who came along – whether you joined a talk, made a bird box, swapped a plant, got stuck into a craft, asked a question, shared an idea or simply stopped for a chat.