Our Projects

Gift to Nature is a the flagship conservation project of Natural Enterprise a Isle of Wight based charity set up in 2000. In 2016 we took on the management of most of the Isle of Wight Council’s countryside estate, to add to our own existing Gift to Nature sites.

Alongside managing these green sites we also undertake projects focus on improving the Island for people and nature. Further details of each project are available on the side bar of this page.

Gift to Nature Tree Nursery

The Gift to Nature Community Tree Nursery is a community-led nursery growing native trees from seed collected on the Isle of Wight.

Based at Shide Meadows in Newport, the nursery brings together volunteers, local knowledge and practical conservation work to produce trees for planting projects across the Island.

From collecting seed and propagating young trees through to growing them on and preparing them for planting, the nursery provides a local source of trees while giving people the opportunity to learn about and take part in the process.

This year 3,576 trees have been propagated, with 19 native species currently growing all from seeds collected entirely on the Island.

 

What we do

Collecting seed

Our growing season begins with seed collection. Volunteers collect seed from suitable locations across the Isle of Wight, providing the starting material for the following year’s trees.

We collect a range of native species, with the aim of maintaining a diverse selection of trees suitable for different planting situations.

Propagation

Collected seed is cleaned, prepared and propagated at the nursery.

Young seedlings are cared for through their first stages of growth, with volunteers helping with pricking out, potting, watering, weeding and general nursery maintenance.

Growing on

As the trees develop, they move through different stages of production. We are developing additional growing capacity for bare-root trees, allowing suitable young saplings to be planted out and grown on before being lifted for planting.

Trees for conservation and sale

Trees grown at the nursery are used for a range of planting projects, including:

  • Hedgerow planting
  • Woodland creation
  • Habitat restoration
  • Community planting
  • School planting projects
  • Gift to Nature sites

A proportion of our trees are also available for commercial sale to landowners, organisations, businesses, community groups and individuals looking for native trees grown from Isle of Wight collected seed.

Our commercial sales help make locally grown trees more widely available while providing an income stream that can be reinvested into the nursery and its future production.

A growing community

The nursery is supported by a small group of regular volunteers, alongside people who join us for occasional work parties, seed collection and community events.

You don’t need previous nursery or horticultural experience to get involved. There are plenty of practical jobs to learn, and volunteers work alongside the nursery team.

Regular volunteer sessions currently take place on Fridays, 10am–1pm, although activities vary throughout the year.

Access For All

The  National Lottery Community Fund are funding Access for All – a project which aims to make all 32 Gift to Nature sites more accessible and fulfilling for everyone to enjoy. It’s not just about physical improvements to sites, we are also improving interpretation, increasing activities and volunteering opportunities and creating a ‘Nature at Home’ sensory experience.

Rolling Programme of Site Improvements

We have a rolling programme of improvements to our sites. This is determined by need, opportunity and access to funding.

Our current site improvement projects are:

  • Working with Totland Parish Council to integrate a new site – Turvills Field – into our portfolio.
  • Working with Natural England to introduce grazing to Rew Down Local Nature Reserve in Ventnor.
  • Working with Natural England and Godshill Parish Council to improve the condition of Munsley Bog, to replace the boardwalk and to add a Troll Trail.

Visit the project page to view a full list of our site improvements since 2016.

Best By Bus

See more of the Island without the hassle of a car. We have produced four leaflets highlighting some of the best the Island has to offer, all easily accessible by bus. So get on board, enjoy the view from the top deck and check out Beast, Beauty, Birds and Beaches by Bus.

Historic projects

These are some of the projects we have been involved with in the past.