Essex Wildlife Trust shares their story of working with the local group, The Greener Garden Group (3G), on a wildlife-friendly gardening group. 

The Greener Garden Group, or 3G, is a team of volunteers based in Colchester and Brightlingsea, whose innovative model of greener gardening involves working in other people’s gardens, on the condition that their work includes making one improvement to the garden for wildlife, whether this is providing an area of wildflower meadow, creating a wildlife pond, cutting chemical inputs or installing nest boxes.

Jenny Gifford, Essex Wildlife Trust's Urban Wildlife Champion and the power behind the group, and her fellow volunteers help wildlife thrive in spaces other conservationists cannot reach. They look after several gardens, large and small, in the Colchester, Brightlingsea and Tendring area, and have contributed a range of habitat improvements to gardens, large and small.  They advise groups and businesses too, including the sailing club. They provide a free service, helping people who would not otherwise have the time or resources to look after their garden, keep it accessible, and allow them to experience nature on their doorstep. 

The Essex Wildlife Trust has been able to support Jenny by connecting her with Colchester Local Group, helping her recruit a new volunteer, and introducing her to our Urban Wildlife Champion for Fingringhoe Village. The Trust supported Jenny with leaflet drops around the Brightlingsea area, spreading the word of her invaluable work to prospective clients and volunteers alike, and helped her get her flyers and such displayed in our Nature Discovery Centres.  
 
Essex Wildlife Trust said: "Our relationship with the 3Gs is invaluable- and we know that by supporting Jenny and her colleagues where we can, we are also supporting nature’s recovery and the wider community by helping them welcome wildlife back into gardens and facilitating the kind of nature experiences which empower the community to become changemakers themselves. "