Above: The station adopter team at Norwich receive their Wildlife Friendly Station accreditation. Credit: Greater Anglia Norwich rail station has received a ‘Wildlife Friendly’ accreditation, recognising the work of the station’s community volunteers to improve biodiversity and support nature. Greater Anglia has partnered with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust to formally recognise the achievements of its team of volunteer ‘station adopters’ to create wildlife havens at stations across its network, through creation of the ‘Greater Anglia Wildlife Friendly Stations Accreditation Scheme.’ The team of adopters at Norwich received the award following assessment by a Norfolk Wildlife Trust Conservation Officer to determine how well the station supports local flora and fauna. The ecologist’s report noted several areas of microhabitat such as a wildflower area, shrubs and trees, as well as 28 plant species, that are all helping to support wildlife in an urban environment. James Hogg, Development Officer at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, said: “The alarming decline in the abundance of wildlife and the plight of species under threat means that just protecting the nature we have left is not enough; we need to put nature into recovery, and to do so at scale and with urgency. “This project with Greater Anglia is a fantastic example of how people can transform nature-poor areas into new nature-rich places – and change the way we think about land, seizing opportunities to help nature outside traditional nature reserves.” Each assessment also offers tips and advice for how to make the stations even more wildlife friendly and the reports can also be used as examples of best practice to help spread good ideas around all Greater Anglia’s stations. Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said, “We’re delighted to partner with the region’s wildlife trusts to formally recognise the valuable work of our station adopter volunteers in supporting wildlife and improving their local environment.” “I’d like to congratulate the volunteers at Norwich station on receiving this recognition and thank them for the incredible work that are doing that is help to support biodiversity locally. “Their work also makes the station more attractive for passengers and the local community.” There are now 19 stations across the Greater Anglia network which have received the “Wildlife Friendly” accreditation, with more expected to be certificated over the next year. Rail stations in East Anglia are increasingly becoming havens for local wildlife thanks to the efforts of over 300 volunteers who last year transformed over 7,400 square metres of land into thriving wildlife gardens. In a recent survey, Greater Anglia station adopters reported a wide range of creatures visiting their stations including many different types of butterflies as well as bees, slow worms, bats, foxes, toads, lizards, deer and many varieties of birds, recording more than 200 different species. Greater Anglia has joined the rest of the rail industry in pledging to make stations across Britain more sustainable. Action to reduce waste, support local wildlife and cut the carbon footprint of railway stations will be informed by the industry’s Sustainable Stations: Best Practice Guide, which details ways in which train operators can meet this commitment in support of global goals of decarbonisation, reducing waste and supporting local plant and animal life.
