Following a community consultation around a Neighbourhood Development Plan, Exminster Green Spaces Group was formed in 2014 to help enhance green spaces in the village for both people and wildlife. Over recent years there has been a growing emphasis on helping wildlife and increasing biodiversity. Leading the volunteer team is Jeremy Pyne, who has been involved with the group since 2017. We chatted to Jeremy about his #TeamWilder journey so far…

How did you get involved with the community?

I was looking for something outside of my day job to get actively involved in locally. Having lived in Exminster for over 30 years, I wanted to get out and do something physical that would also have a positive impact on my surroundings, so working with the Exminster Green Spaces Group on tasks such as hedge work, tree planting and bulb planting felt like a really good opportunity.

How does it feel to be part of the community?

It’s great! You meet some really nice people, you’re out and about in the open air which helps get rid of some frustrations and stresses from life. I get a tremendous amount of enjoyment out of it, and some things we do, like planting a tree, could potentially be there for many years which is a really nice thought.

How does it feel knowing that you’re benefitting wildlife?

It feels like important work, more and more so. You’re constantly hearing statistics about declining numbers of insects and birds, so we’re doing our bit to try and reverse that trend and put things right

What are the ambitions of the community?  

In the last 2 years we’ve been trying to involve more local organisations and partners in the community, some of which are already doing great things. For instance, the school already has its own nature garden. I want to start building a momentum for others in Exminster to make a difference and work towards an ambition of nature recovery in the area and see the movement grow.

Any memorable moments so far?

Last autumn, it was one of the first times we’ve had the local cubs/scouts involved at the community orchard. It was a horrible, wet evening but they came along to do some tree ID. All the children were so excited to answer questions about the different tree species which was lovely. Afterwards we planted some hazelnuts in pots which they also enjoyed. Hopefully those children have had a positive nature experience which they’ll remember for a long time.

Any advice you’d give to someone wanting to start a community?

Don’t overstretch yourself too soon - try to build step by step. If you haven’t already got a group, start spreading the idea, whether it’s over social media or word of mouth, to try and get some likeminded people together. It might start off as a few of you chatting over cups of tea and then you can see how it grows from there.

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Living in or around Exminster and keen to get involved with the group? Check out their Facebook page for upcoming events.

Want to start your own community group? Check out our resource bank for inspiration or get in touch with the Wilder Communities team for guidance.