In the heart of Bristol, a quiet revolution is unfolding. Not the loud kind of protest or policy change but a gentle, powerful act of community-led rewilding. The residents of Lockleaze, a suburb just north of the city centre, are breathing new life into forgotten spaces. Their initiative, Really Wild Lockleaze, is transforming the neighbourhood’s patchwork of urban green space into a thriving, connected haven for wildlife and a balm for the human soul.
Backed by the Lockleaze Neighbourhood Trust and partly funded by the National Lottery’s Community Climate Action Partnership, this project is turning concern into action. Faced with the threat of losing green space to housing development, residents didn’t just rally, they planted.
More than 1,600 square metres of woodland, 170 metres of hedgerow, and five ponds later, Lockleaze is blooming. Wildflowers spill out onto the pavements, fruit trees dot residential corners, and hidden plots behind sports centres are now alive with biodiversity. Volunteers are even monitoring wildlife, including bees and birds, to track the recovery of nature on their doorstep.
But this is about more than just plants and pollinators.
As Laura Tarlo-Ross from the Trust puts it “Many hands make light work.”
Really Wild Lockleaze is stitching together isolated patches of land into something bigger, what ecologists call a connected habitat. These green corridors link homes to hedgerows, parks to ponds, and people to purpose. In fact, the project benefits from a unique location: nestled between Stoke Park and a railway line, Lockleaze accidentally sits along a natural corridor for wildlife. This effort is simply helping nature find its way again.
Why This Matters
According to the Bristol One City Ecological Emergency Strategy, populations of common songbirds like swifts and starlings have plummeted by over 96% since the 1990s. That’s a shocking figure and one mirrored across the UK. But Lockleaze shows that communities don’t have to wait for top-down change. They can lead.
At LettsSafari, we champion this grassroots approach. Our rewilding parks, gardens, and subscription-based tips empower people everywhere to rewild the land they love, no matter how small. Whether you’re restoring a corner of your garden or joining forces with neighbours like the Lockleaze crew, your actions ripple outwards.
LettsSafari’s Takeaway
The beauty of the Lockleaze story is its accessibility. You don’t need vast estates or scientific expertise to make a difference. You just need vision, community spirit, and a few spades in the soil.
That’s what LettsSafari is all about - making rewilding doable for everyone. One hedge at a time. One pond at a time. One street at a time.