Local Places for Nature
The Green Routes project aimed to improve people’s wellbeing and provide environments that could benefit wildlife’s recovery.
Working closely with local people and community partners, the project also helped people feel ownership and pride in their local community spaces and train stations.
Over 300 green features were introduced across Wales’ station network, including:
- planters and hanging baskets
Kidwelly's green station features were adopted by local
Scouts, who planted up the planters. - trees and features for community growing
- water butts
- wildlife habitats like beehives, bird houses, bat boxes, bug hotels, hedgehog houses and ladybird houses
176 volunteers were trained to help install, plant and maintain these features. Six station adopter groups were created, ensuring local people are invested in looking after them.
TfW shared the project's work and encouraged people to get involved through community engagement events, planting and volunteering days, talks and internal training.
In addition, community partners created five green sites:
- the Enbarr Foundation CIC improved green space at their John Summers building in Deeside
- Cambrian Village Trust created a community garden and installed wildlife boxes in the Clydach Vale
- community planters, a herb garden and more were installed at Taff’s Well village hall
- Bron Fair allotments association transformed disused areas into an accessible garden and community growing areas
- Twyn Community Hub created a Green Flag eco community garden
Dr Louise Moon, TfW’s Heritage & Sustainable Impact Manager said: “We’re proud to have worked with many community groups and volunteers, supporting them with their ambitions for creating green spaces for both wildlife and people. Our aspiration is, and always will be, that transport will positively contribute to our communities and environment now and in the future.”
Green Routes created a model that TfW can use to add wildlife-friendly features to more stations on its network and built relationships with community partners. Building on the success of this project, TfW has since been awarded another £100,000 grant for a community woodlands project.
This project was supported through the Local Places for Nature scheme, delivered by the Heritage Fund on behalf of the Welsh Government.
