The project to create a new wildlife garden for Wrabness station has seen a collaboration with the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership alongside local residents, station adoption volunteers, the Essex Path to Prosperity Project, Community Rail Network, the Bee Friendly Trust and Greater Anglia.

An area of overgrown scrubland of approximately one-quarter of an acre in size, and where the station’s masters house once stood has now seen a wonderful transformation into a visitor-friendly wildlife garden. The garden saw an official opening by station adopter Julia Prigg BEM take place on Friday the 25th of March with residents, guests and partners of the project in attendance.

The aim of the garden is to encourage and support wildlife and sees a number of bug hotels, bird boxes and two special robin boxes. The garden also features a pond for frogs and a hibernaculum for newts, lizards and toads. Bees have also been well catered for with two huge planters full of bee-friendly planting which also greet visitors at the front part of the garden. The garden also includes a path which leads to seating which has been built from railway sleepers using the stumps of ancient trees.

A further planter also features a collage of ceramic tiles which were made by residents of Acorn Village which is a residential home for adults with learning disabilities. The garden also has specially commissioned artworks dotted around including metal sculptures, relief wooden carvings of bees, wooden sculptures and a large bird bath with a decorative base. The entrance to the garden also features a herb bed which is hoped that visitors, passengers and the local community will help themselves too.

The entire area has seen the sowing of native wildflower seeds which will become established during the summer months.

6 To * year-olds from Wix and Wrabness Primary School have worked with the Bee Friendly Trust as part of the project and enjoyed ‘pollination workshops’ and saw the pupils paint posters which will also be displayed in the garden. One poster was selected by the children and will be on a T-Shirt which celebrates the project.

Luke Dixon, of The Bee Friendly Trust, said: It has been exciting to work on this project with so many collaborators and create something very special from a neglected piece of wasteland.”

Funding for the garden was provided by the Essex Path to Prosperity project which supports sustainable travel to the Essex coast, Community Rail Network and the Bee Friendly Trust. The Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership provided in-kind support.

Terri Ryland, Essex & South Suffolk CRP Officer, said: “This has been a fantastic collaborative project and we are so excited for rail passengers and the community to come and see the wildlife garden and enjoy watching it develop over the coming months. We are very grateful to all the partners who made it possible with their generous support.”

Juliana Dempsey, on behalf of the Essex Path to Prosperity Project, said: “It is so important that we all do our bit for biodiversity and important species like bees. The Essex Climate Action Commission has an aim that by 2040, 30% of Essex will be wildlife areas. To make that happen we all need to put aside land for nature, whether you are a large farmer, a business, a school or a train station wildlife garden. This is a great partnership of Pathways to Prosperity, the Community Railway and Wrabness Primary School coming together to improve nature in Wrabness!”

Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said: “Wrabness station has always been a jewel in the crown on the Mayflower Line thanks to the care bestowed upon it by its volunteer station adopters and the community rail partnership over many, many years.

“The existing garden always looks immaculate and welcoming for visitors and the new wildlife garden will now take this to a whole new level, creating a haven for nature and people alike. I would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved in this wonderful project.”

Paul Webster, Support and development manager at Community Rail Network: said: “The project is a fabulous example of how partnership working between local groups, the Community Rail Partnership and biodiversity experts have looked beyond the station platforms to further develop the green spaces at Wrabness into both a vibrant colourful space for plants and bees together with it being a peaceful area for passengers and the local community to enjoy too. We are incredibly proud and pleased to have been able to provide a financial contribution through the Community Rail Development Fund towards this fantastic scheme.”