Avon Wildlife Trust and Nailsea Climate Emergency Group are teaming up to show how local residents can help the North Somerset Levels and Moors while making their own homes more climate resilient.

These moors are one of the most important landscapes in the country, wetlands forming lowland peat act as a vital habitat for wildlife while being incredible at storing carbon. 

Over the last two decades, Avon Wildlife Trust has been working in this region to understand how human activity has changed this landscape, and how this links to the decline in nature that we can all see.  

On Saturday 28 March, Jen Robertson, Avon Wildlife Trust’s Nature and Climate Manager, will be hosting two ‘Our Magical Moors’ events at Nailsea Methodist Church with Nailsea Climate Emergency Group. They’ll be sharing their knowledge about our beautiful, boggy moors and advise on what we can do in our own homes to help them and future-proof against the impact of climate breakdown.

From 2pm – 4.30pm, they’ll be running a family-friendly drop-in session, with storytelling, crafts and cake. Then later that evening, from 7pm – 9pm, they’ll be holding a panel discussion with guests from North Somerset Council, Wessex Water and Belmont Estate, to talk about the serious challenges the moors are facing and how these will affect the local community. The panel will discuss what makes this incredible landscape so special, the work being done to protect it and what residents can do to help.

Jen Roberston said: “We want to protect these wonderful wetlands and give nature a chance to thrive across the North Somerset Levels and Moors once again.”

“Working in a collaborative way we can make the landscape more resilient to the impacts of climate change (such as drought, flooding, heat stress). This will hugely benefit the communities who live and work here, as they will have to adapt to these impacts and pressures too. 

“Small actions at home all add up and together we can build a more climate resilient future for Nailsea and the moors.”

 John Belton from the Nailsea Climate Emergency Group said:

“Rewetting the moors is one of the most important actions we, as a community, can take locally to reduce our carbon footprint and help protect us from the worst effects of flooding in the future.

The benefits of this are significant for us all and vital for our children. We are delighted to be working with Jen and Avon Wildlife Trust to put on these two exciting events”

Nailsea resident Kate has already been making changes at home to create a more wildlife-friendly space which is sensitive to the way urban runoff water can negatively impact the moors.

By installing a water butt, avoiding plastic grass, and planning permeable paving, Kate has reduced rainwater runoff from her home. This helps to prevent local drainage systems from being overwhelmed, whilst improving soil health locally by allowing water to naturally filter into the ground. This choice to hold water back echoes the large-scale ‘slow the flow’ measures that allow peatlands to rewet and recover.

Read more about Kate's Nailsea family garden

Kate said: “Like many families, myself and my partner work full time and juggle busy schedules with two children. It’s always challenging to find time to do more for nature, but if everyone took a small action then collectively it would make a real difference for Nailsea.”

To learn more about what actions you can take at home, sign up to attend the free Our Magical Moors events on 28 March:

Our Magical Moors: Family Fun Afternoon

Our Magical Moors: A panel discussion