As our five-year New Life on the Old West project comes to a very successful conclusion, we’re focusing on ensuring we leave a strong legacy for those communities we have worked with.

We’ve put together five handy New Life on the Old West factsheets all about the habitats we’ve created through the project – hedgerows, ponds, scrapes, wildflower meadows and berms – each paired with a species that really benefits from them. You can download them by clicking on the links below:

 

Download the factsheet on creating hedgerows.

Download the factsheet on creating ponds.

Download the factsheet on creating wader scrapes.

Download the factsheet on creating wildflower meadows.

Download the factsheet on creating berms.

 

To go alongside these, we’re running a Q&A session where you can ask questions about the factsheets, chat through any plans you might have for creating these habitats and get advice on how best to approach them. It’ll also be a chance to hear what others in the local area are up to, swap ideas, and share tips on bringing these habitats to life. The session is taking place on Wednesday 10 September at 2pm. To find out more, please visit our events page.

 

Note: The photo accompanying this article is the winner of our 2025 NLOW Photo Competition. It’s of a Brown Argus butterfly and was taken by the very talented Laura Burgess.