Wakefield Rewilding Project | John Chambers Wildflower Seed

John Chambers Wildflower Seed supplied seeds and peat-free topsoil for the project. The initial planting took place in September 2020, with volunteers protecting the young seedlings from frost and watering them throughout autumn and winter. The first phase produced over 5,000 wildflower plug plants, a remarkable achievement for the charity and the Nature Force group.

The success of the first phase led to a second order of seeds and soil in spring 2021, including species such as Ox-eye Daisy, Great Burnet, Great Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Yellow Rattle, Meadowsweet, Devil’s Bit Scabious, and Dropwort. These species were carefully selected to encourage biodiversity, attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, and thrive in multiple urban and rural locations.

Volunteers helped transplant the plug plants across Wakefield, placing some in private gardens and others in open countryside areas. Each planting activity served as a hands-on conservation exercise, educating participants and raising income for the charity.

The Wakefield Wildflower project successfully:

• Grew over 5,000 plug plants for distribution across the district
• Enhanced biodiversity in urban and rural areas, creating valuable pollinator habitats
• Provided educational and therapeutic activities for volunteers with disabilities
• Generated income to reinvest in future conservation projects

The charity plans to continue the project alongside other conservation activities such as increasing biodiversity in churchyards, creating wildlife ponds, and constructing a 500m accessible path in Coxley Woods.