Nature Features

At the end of the spring more than 30 volunteers descended on Butchers Coppice Scout Camp in Bournemouth to turn a rubbish-strewn eight acre plot into a garden abundant with wildlife.

The team of volunteers, including many local scouts, worked tirelessly, digging up the weeds, digging a pond, creating borders for new plants, putting in fencing and a gate.

Before: Butcher's Coppice as it was

Kirsty Bourton from the Dorset branch of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) organised the work. Speaking straight after the event she said, "The site was really overgrown and had no appeal. It looks really different now."

Phase two

The groundwork to create the garden was just the beginning and now detailed plans have been drawn up to put phase two into place. This will involve clearing more weeds and putting wood chips around the pond. The SWAT revisited team will also clear the pond itself and reshape the sides to hide the pond liner and clear an adjacent overgrown area.

More physical features will be put in place including a storage shed, bat and owl boxes and a bird hide.

Butchers Coppice at Bear Cross already attracts a variety of wildlife. Woodpeckers, tree creepers, nuthatches and even the occasional buzzard have been spotted on the camp site.

After: Butchers Coppice as it is now

Bird tables made from reclaimed wood from the camp were put up by the team during phase one and they are now helping to attract more birds.

The purpose of the new garden is to help the cubs and scouts who come to Butchers Coppice learn more about nature. A teaching area created is allowing children to examine the flora and fauna.

About the project

The makeover was driven by BBC Radio Solent in partnership with Stour District Scouts, the BTCV and the RSPB as part of a UK-wide initiative under the BBC's Springwatch series.

The garden created at Butchers Coppice in Bournemouth was one of 50 projects to turn neglected spaces into breathing places for people and wildlife.