The staff and residents whole-heartedly entered the fun of 30 Days Wild even before the launch in June by exploring their grounds to see what wildlife they had.  They discovered sparrowhawks hunting, fish swimming in their lake and nest boxes to watch, amongst ideas hatched to start a sensory garden close to the house to encourage residents to get outdoors for fresh air and a small amount of exercise to test their senses.

Mark Speck, Conservation Officer at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust also visited recently to view the site and make further recommendations to enhance the habitats for wildlife and people, including the installation of more bird boxes and a bug hotel, the establishment of a wildflower meadow, and the creation of paths for residents and families to be able to easily access the lake from the house. He also suggested plans to transform the lake into a bird and animal-watching haven, and supported the home’s ideas for a mud kitchen or wild garden for residents and children to enjoy together during visits. There are so many perfect ways for the staff, residents and visitors to share experiences in the moment and build new memories.

Louise Baker is the Marketing Assistant at Your Health Ltd, which owns Langwith Lodge Residential Home. She says, “We are really happy with the benefits the residents have experienced while taking part in 30 Days Wild, and the improvements to their health and wellbeing during this time have been a great achievement for many of them. It’s something we’re keen to build on. During 30 Days Wild we also included many indoor activities for those who couldn’t make it to our new sensory garden, to ensure that we kept everyone engaged in the campaign. We are excited about the new opportunities our partnership with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust will provide” Louise continued, “Thanks to Mark’s visit we can enhance our estate further for wildlife, and have plans to improve the water quality of our lake, install bird and bat boxes, and organise identification walks and workshops for residents. There’s so much space for a wildflower meadow, and we’ve hopes of making the grounds even more accessible for less-able residents. We hope to greatly improve the access of our land to wildlife, too. Every animal is welcome here!”

Staff from the 54-bed care home also recently attended Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s inaugural “Nature, Health and Wellbeing” business event in July, where they learned about the mental and physical health benefits of spending time in green spaces rich in wildlife.  The event featured case studies on the benefits that teams from businesses can gain from volunteering on nature reserves, and presentations on the Trust’s work vaccinating badgers against Bovine Tuberculosis.

Holly McCain, Senior Development Officer from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said “We are very pleased that Your Health Ltd has re-joined the Trust as a business supporter.  Having met with the team it is clear to see that they are keen to improve the health and wellbeing of their long-term residents at Langwith Lodge – as well as daycare visitors and guests staying at the home on shorter respite stays – by providing safe and easy access to their beautiful sensory garden and wider grounds rich in wildlife.  We look forward to seeing how the Langwith Lodge team further enhance the site for both people and wildlife to thrive in”.  Thanks to support from Langwith Lodge Residential Home, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is able to continue managing nature reserves across the county and engaging people with nature and wildlife.

For more information about Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Corporate Supporter scheme click here or ask for Holly McCain on 0115 958 8242.