Entrant's Guide - Villages, Towns & Cities
Downloadable resources
You can find a downloadable version of this guide for entrants below.
You'll also need your submission form to begin filling out your evidence for the three awards categories.
Who are we?
The natural world isn’t just something for us to enjoy; it sustains us. The decline in nature puts our very survival and prosperity under threat. It doesn’t have to be like this; together we can create a Wilder Kent.
Kent Wildlife Trust is the leading conservation charity in the South East and one of 46 national Wildlife Trusts. For over 60 years we have been saving and improving habitats to ensure that Kent’s wildlife can thrive and people can enjoy the natural world around them. With your help, we can continue to do this for generations to come.
Kent Wildlife Trust is working with schools, communities, developers, and local councils to ensure that we all have access to wildlife in our towns and cities and that wildlife is protected and can thrive. By supporting them to improve existing green spaces, and create new spaces, we can promote and enable people and wildlife to coexist and flourish.
Our vision
To ensure that 30% of Kent's land and sea displays increased climate resilience and contains abundant wildlife.
Wilder Kent Awards
Wildlife is in crisis. We continue to lose our most precious remnants of wild natural space and vast numbers of our insects and birds. Our existing laws are too weak and the climate and nature crisis we face is not being taken seriously enough. We need ambitious natural climate solutions that reduce and capture carbon, stop ecosystem destruction and make our towns and cities cleaner and greener.
We are delighted that you are considering entering the Wilder Kent Awards and joining the other wonderful villages, towns and cities that are doing their part to make a Wilder Kent. We can’t wait to hear about all of the ways you are helping to restore nature by taking positive action to promote a Wilder Kent.
Entering the awards
All of the award criteria are outlined in this guide and there are multiple award tiers (commendation, bronze, silver and gold) that can be achieved. The more criteria you meet, the higher your award will be.
By entering, you will be showing your ambition to connect people with nature and protect wildlife for the future. Any achievement is a helping hand for wildlife and the scheme allows you to increase your award level year on year so that you can continue to inspire your community and help wildlife to thrive.
No matter how many criteria you can meet we would like to thank and congratulate you for your efforts in helping to create a Wilder Kent.
Why enter the Wilder Kent Awards?
There are many benefits to entering:
- Help support the health and wellbeing of the people that you serve
- Connect your local community to wildlife and help tackle 'Nature deficit disorder'
- Contribute to the national target for tackling the climate and nature crises
- Protect people and wildlife for generations to come
- Encourage wildlife in our urban environments to make them a more vibrant and diverse place to live for people and wildlife alike
- Help create a wilder Kent
Below are a few ideas for simple things you can do to achieve a Wilder Kent in each awards category:
1. Protect wildlife
Protect wildlife in your village, town or city by safeguarding and enhancing existing habitats, and create new habitats that provide food, shelter and water to support nature. Use your local knowledge and collective power to work together to advocate for our natural environment.
You could...
Hedgehog by Tom Marshall
Create green corridors and habitat networks
Set out a clear policy commitment through your Neighbourhood Plan and Local Plan to create green corridors and networks of habitat to support wildlife in your local area:
Map out areas for nature’s recovery
Set out clear policies on Biodiversity Net Gain, aspiring to create 20% improvements for wildlife through the planning process
Explain how you will use these policies to enhance habitats in your area
Wild flower planting in urban setting by Paul Hobson
Influence local planning applications
Influence planning applications locally to protect and enhance wildlife:
Oppose developments which will damage wildlife and encourage schemes which improves biodiversity
Work with specific developments to ensure that the best outcome is achieved for wildlife
Create a Biodiversity Strategy
Set out and implement priorities for nature’s recovery:
Commit to manage council-owned land to support wildlife
Promote “No mow May”
Raise awareness of the value of your local Roadside Nature Reserves (RNRs)
Ensure that management companies align their work plans with your Biodiversity Strategy
Form a Climate and Biodiversity Committee to guide action
Implement a Pesticide Free Village/Town/City Action Plan and set a date to become pesticide free
Encourage management of allotments to benefit wildlife
Develop local wilding projects
2. Sustainability and carbon reduction
The day to day choices we make have a direct impact on our environment. Improve the environmental sustainability of your organisation to reduce your carbon footprint.
You could...
Install electric charging points
Encourage green transport
Become carbon neutral
Set up a Youth Climate Panel
Encourage food sustainability
3. Engage with nature
Protect wildlife in Kent and teach residents how they can support it. Deliver and support activities that engage and inspire others to get involved with their natural environment and support nature.
You could...
Encourage citizen science projects
Protect species
The facts behind our three categories
1. Protect wildlife
- Around 3 / 4 of crops require pollination by insects.1
- • 41% of insects face extinction.2
- 30 to 50% of all species could be extinct by mid-century.3
- The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.4
- Urban areas are rapidly expanding and we need to ensure that these areas support wildlife.
2. Sustainability and carbon reduction
- The average hamburger takes 2,400 litres of water to produce.5
- Lighting accounts for 15% of global electricity use. Switching to LEDs will use 90% less energy and last longer than standard lights.6
- Decomposing matter in landfills produces methane gas, which contributes 34x more to climate change than CO2.7
- Recycling one ton of paper saves 2,548 litres of oil, 26,498 litres of water and 2.5 cubic metres of landfill space.8
- Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees.9
3. Engage with nature
- 95% of participants with low levels of mental wellbeing reported an improvement in their mental health in six weeks after starting a Wildlife Trust programme.10
- Of 87 schools, 92% reported outdoor learning improved pupil health and wellbeing and engaged pupils with learning.11
References 1. The Wildlife Trusts 2. wildlifetrusts.org/take-action-insects 3. dosomething.org/us/ 4. State of Nature Report 5. sumas.ch/sustainability-statistics 6, 7, 8, 9. sumas.ch/sustainability-facts/ 10. A Natural Health Service Report 2019 11. Natural Connections Project, LOtC
Submitting your application
Our awards celebrate the work of local councils in reconnecting their communities with nature. Their actions provide local benefits and help tackle the global environmental threats we all face.
Throughout your journey, please fill in your submission form to keep track of how you are meeting each of our awards’ criteria. All the while, ensure you are collecting supporting evidence. Your evidence may include photos and videos, reports, data, other certificates or press coverage.
Once you have filled out your submission form and gathered your evidence, you are ready to upload your evidence and submit!
To be considered for the 2024 award ceremony, all submission forms and supporting evidence must be submitted to us by Friday 31st May 2024
You can contact us for help or alternative methods at awards@kentwildlife.org.uk
Download your submission form
You'll need your submission form to begin filling out your evidence for the three awards categories.
You can also find a downloadable version of this guide for entrants below.