Ashington Town Council Bird Box Initiative Helps Boost Local Wildlife and Community Engagement
Ashington Town Council is thrilled see the fun and efforts of a community-focused bird box initiative, spearheaded by our dedicated Neighbourhood Services Officers, Mark, and Ryan. This initiative has seen the creation of hundreds of handmade bird boxes, designed to provide safe nesting spaces for local birdlife and encourage environmental stewardship within our community.
Recognising the importance of supporting biodiversity and tackling climate change, the Climate Change Committee has enthusiastically backed this initiative. The Council’s bird box project shows the proactive steps we are taking to enhance our local environment. It’s a fantastic way to engage the community in conservation efforts.
To foster a hands-on approach, the Council has distributed 129 bird box kits to local activity groups, with another 80 almost ready to go out. These kits offer a fun, educational activity, allowing participants to build their own bird boxes while learning about the importance of wildlife conservation.
We are delighted to hear the fun that Ashington Assemble at the Family Hub, Ashington Fifth Brownies and Wellbeing Wednesdays have had, along with some positive feedback and pictures that they are happy for us to share.
Ashington Assemble at the Family Hub shared their excitement: “I thought the kits were really good. It was a challenge to put them together; my group is quite young and has some 9-year-olds in it so some needed staff assistance… they really enjoyed it and for some of them, it was the first time using a screwdriver. I'd also briefed them beforehand that putting things together can be frustrating, even as adults!”
Wellbeing Wednesdays echoed this sentiment: “our coffee morning attendees have really enjoyed making up the boxes, however it was quite difficult for the older attendees to handle a screwdriver, so we brought in an electric one for them and this was much easier. It certainly did promote teamwork and was lovely to see older people helping younger and vice versa.”
Fifth Ashington Brownies promise more wildlife education in the future: “Our members found the bird box assembly process quite manageable. While we haven’t delved deeply into learning about local birds yet, we plan to discuss the placement and visitors of the boxes next term. This activity was great for building new skills and promoting teamwork, fitting perfectly into our 'skills for my future' program.
The feedback and images shared by the groups has been heartwarming and encouraging. Thank you to everyone letting us see how you all got along with the build, and for sharing your thoughts and photos with us! We look forward to seeing even more creative bird box designs from Brightside, Ark Youth Club, ESCAPE Family Support, Full Circle Eco-Club and Ashington Veteran’s & Elders, and hearing the stories about the birds that call them home.
bird box initiative 2024
