Supporting Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) as a Platinum Corporate Member is about much more than simply making an annual donation. It’s about getting involved, giving our time and making a practical contribution to the countryside and wildlife right here on our doorstep at our premises in Great Braxted.
Conservation work at Tiptree Heath
Just a couple of miles from our main warehouse site is Tiptree Heath, a unique and valuable area of lowland heathland managed by Essex Wildlife Trust volunteers. This month, five members of the Commodity Centre team swapped their computers and brooms for tree loppers and saws to join the volunteers for a hands-on conservation session.
The team helped to clear areas of overgrown birch and gorse, an important part of maintaining the heathland, creating firebreaks and protecting this special wildlife habitat. Rather than simply removing the birch timber, the wood will be put to good use in constructing fencing as part of the Heath's ongoing management – giving the materials a second life while helping to preserve the landscape.
And Tiptree Heath is certainly worth protecting. Covering 24 hectares, it is the largest area of lowland heathland in Essex and the only place in the county where all three of Essex's native heather species grow together. Its mixture of heath, woodland and grassland provides a home for a fascinating range of wildlife, including nightingales, cuckoos, dormice and grass snakes.
Joining the EWT volunteers is a great opportunity for our team to see first-hand the work that goes into maintaining this important local habitat, give something back to the community and enjoy a very different kind of working day!
Creating better habitats for birds, bees and bugs
Our commitment to the local environment doesn’t stop at Tiptree Heath. We’ve also been finding ways to support wildlife at our Great Braxted site and involve colleagues and their families in the process.
As well as planting an abundance of nectar-rich plants onsite, we’ve recently built a fantastic Bug Hotel by inviting colleagues and their children to get creative. Not only did they build the hotel from pallets, logs, bamboo and branches, they then let their imaginations go wild by making and decorating homes for insects and other small creatures to take home to their own gardens.
It was a great afternoon of creativity, teamwork and lots of mucky fun while also educating the next generation about how small actions can provide valuable spaces for wildlife.
Looking ahead
Through our partnership with Essex Wildlife Trust, we’re proud to play a small part in helping protect the natural environment and wildlife around us while giving our employees and their families opportunities to get involved, learn and have fun at the same time.
Over the coming months, we will be undertaken more practical work to support the bird life in and around our premises in Essex. Watch this space for more updates.
With special thanks to Victoria Gresty for leading this community-focused initiative.
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