Who are we?

Wildlife Groundswell began through a conversation of Lizard residents in the summer of 2019. After consulting with representatives of local environmental groups and other residents, we became a small, unincorporated association in March 2020.

We are now a Community Interest Company (company no. 15021589), principally so that we are in a better position to accept grants for our projects, with six directors:

Sarah Board
Maggie Freegard
Sam Freegard
David Oates
Caroline Richardson
Tanya Strike

We have a core of committed volunteers who help with meetings, writing documents, communications and social media, and running our events.

We have been especially boosted by the support of the Oates Family, who have allowed us to use Rosuick Farm near St Martin in Meneage, and have given us a valuable link into the farming community. 

We have a membership of almost 400, which is growing steadily as we host talks, meetings, demonstrations, workshops, lunches and our annual conferences. The membership receives a monthly newsletter which keeps them up to date with what has happened, what’s coming up, other community activities and book recommendations for learning more about nature recovery and related topics.

Heather at Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula. Image: National Trust

Our aims

Our work focuses around three key aims:

• Boosting wildlife: joined up action to stimulate wildlife diversity and abundance, making it as easy as possible for anyone to contribute

• Increasing carbon capture: planting trees and harnessing the power of the soil and scrubland to maximise carbon capture and biodiversity

• Linking nature and community: starting conversations and hosting events to build community awareness and involvement

Vision statement

Turning the tide to help nature and people thrive across the Lizard and beyond

This vision statement recognises that nature continues to become more impoverished and that the community has the ability to halt the decline and reverse the trend. In so doing, we will benefit by being part of a healthy complex ecosystem, our future way of living enriched by knowing and appreciating the natural world of which we are a part.  By increasing biodiversity and nature abundance, we will contribute significantly to carbon drawdown and so address global warming.

This is our vision – and we aim to get there by any means which stay true to our values and which are within our resources. We consider we play a part in nature recovery by representing the local community. 

Some are already committed to nature recovery, either by their own individual efforts or through belonging to the more established environmental groups. We want to be all-inclusive and reach out to everyone. 

We also want to work with all other groups with similar or overlapping aims by promoting what they do, joining in when we can, inviting them to join us and looking for opportunities to work together, perhaps sharing grant applications.

We think it’s essential to work together if we are to achieve the best possible results, and are delighted to be part of the Linking the Lizard partnership.