RotherhamRewilding

'There is a huge amount of research telling us that the best thing we can do to help our environment – and navigate the climate crisis – is to rewild our world.'

Thank you for expressing an interest in the first ever Rewilding Rotherham Awards!
There is a huge amount of research telling us that the best thing we can do to help our environment – and navigate the climate crisis – is to rewild our world.

That’s an ambitious goal and individually, it feels overwhelmingly impossible.

Collectively though, we have the potential to make a genuine difference in Rotherham. Nobody has a greater opportunity to do this than we do.

It is abundantly clear that school staff in Rotherham are passionate about supporting nature’s recovery. There’s great work happening to support wildlife across our schools, and this award aims to recognise that! Hopefully, it will also help us to do even more. The great news is that the best way for us to do more… is to do less!
This award is FREE and VERY EASY. Even so, it has the potential to have a big impact on Rotherham’s nature. It will require minimal work, and there aren’t any big portfolios. All it

takes is a quick email to confirm that you’re taking part and another brief email at the end of the year to tell us what you’ve done. If you’re already doing Eco-Schools or something similar, this can contribute; it really, really, really won’t be any extra work!

How does it work?
Imagine “No Mow May” on a larger scale. The Wilder Rotherham Award will reward schools for allocating a proportion of their available green space for nature, and the easiest way to do that is to simply let it grow wild.
Throughout the year, we’ll also be offering support to help schools manage their wild space more effectively – e.g. through optional workshops around tree and wildflower selection and creating a school pond. Properly managed wild space is even better for nature than areas that are left to their own devices, but it’s important to remember that to get the award, all you need to do is leave areas to grow. ‘Passive rewilding’ is still far better for nature than close-cropped lawns and school fields

The Levels

Allocate any amount of your available green space for rewilding. Even 1m x 1m will do it. That’s it! Told you it was easy!

Allocate a new area of your grounds (of any size) for rewilding. (You may choose to add to a wild area you already have).
Ensure that at least 15% of your total green space is wild*.
This includes your new rewilded area and any existing wild areas / ponds / hedgerow / space covered by tree canopy etc. We’ve attached a guide to help with this part.
Engage children in your rewilding. This could be through assemblies, wildlife counts, measuring the wild area etc.
There are no set criteria – it’s up to you how you do this!
*or 25% of “available” green space, ignoring sports pitches etc. that need to be

mown - whichever is easier to achieve.

Everything in Silver, plus… Ensure that at least 30% of your total green space is wild**.
See above for what that includes. We’ve attached a guide to help with this part.
Engage families in your rewilding. if This could be done however you choose, but a great option would be a competition/ challenge that asked families to rewild some of their own garden / balcony etc. they have one.
**or 50% of “available” green space, ignoring sports pitches etc. that need to be mown - whichever is easier to achieve.

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Resources

How healthy is your meadow

www.plantlife.org.uk

Nature Friendly Schools

Nature Friendly Schools is a new ground-breaking project

Rewilding - School Sign

Show support in your School by proudly displaying the Rotherham Rewilding poster.

Rewilding Network Meeting - Spring 2025

Resources to support the Spring Rewilding network meeting held in March 2025

Rewilding Rotherham - Guide

Wild Space Percentage Guide

Rewilding Rotherham - Overview

It is abundantly clear that school staff in Rotherham are passionate about supporting nature’s recovery.

Nature friendly gardening
Actions you can take for wildlife in your garden at home.

Whether you’ve got a windowsill, a small garden or a big piece of land – from building a bug hotel to creating a garden pond – here are some ideas for things you can do to help wildlife.