Haslemere Biodiversity

06/05/2026

Join us 6.30-8.30pm Weds 13th May to explore the rivers, streams and ponds that local landscapes, and the growing pressures they face. With winters now wetter and summers hotter and drier, our challenge is learning how to hold water in the landscape for longer, improve water quality, and support the wildlife that depends on it.

This session brings together local partners including the River Wey Trust, the Water Rangers, and the local National Trust team, to share what’s happening in our catchment, from water‑quality testing to beavers, water voles, Skunk cabbage and more. It’s a rare chance to see the latest local data, ask questions, and help shape practical projects for nature recovery in our area.

Whether you’re a dog‑walker, gardener, parent, angler, swimmer, or simply curious about the health of our waterways, you’re warmly invited. Soft drinks, biscuits and friendly faces provided.

No need to book, just drop in. More information: https://tinyurl/localnaturerecovery or email us at [email protected]

02/05/2026

But it’s also the start of No Mow May, and we encourage you to resist the urge to raise a sweat razing the lawn. Letting the grass grow, even for a few weeks, gives our struggling insects and pollinators a chance, which in turn helps swifts and hedgehogs.

The UK has lost over 97% of its wildflower meadows since the 1930s (source: Plantlife: saving wild plants) and the small pockets of lawn we each manage at home now play an outsized role in supporting biodiversity. If every garden in Haslemere left just one square metre unmown, we’d create more habitat than an entire new nature reserve.

If you take part, show us your wild patches, we’d love to see mini‑meadows popping up across the town.
Surrey Wildlife Trust
Surrey Hills National Landscape
Campaign to Protect Rural England
Haslemere Town Council
TRANSITION HASLEMERE LIVE

20/04/2026

Join us at Haslemere Museum’s Earth Day Event, Saturday 25 April!

We’re excited to be part of this year’s Earth Day celebrations at Haslemere Museum, a full day of family‑friendly activities, expert talks and hands‑on inspiration for helping nature thrive.

Haslemere Biodiversity's own Lauren Shortland will be giving a Wildlife Gardening talk at 1.30pm, sharing simple, effective ways to make your garden a haven for local wildlife.

It’s free to attend, and there’s a brilliant line‑up throughout the day, perfect for families, gardeners, nature‑curious neighbours and anyone wanting to learn something new.

📍 Haslemere Museum
🗓 Saturday 25 April, 10am–4pm
🎟 Free entry

We’d love to see you there.

14/04/2026

Some urgent advice on feeding birds from the - best to get planting in the garden this year 🐦‍⬛🌿😇

Watch and find out how you can help garden birds.We all want to help birds and make our gardens and outdoor spaces a place where wildlife can thrive. But som...

11/03/2026

Come and Join for an informative evening at Haslemere Museum on Tuesday April 7th from 6.30pm.

🦔 Guest Speaker Dr Sophie Rasmussen (AKA Dr Hedgehog!)

🪶 Update on Haslemere Swift Project

🪲 Opportunity to consult on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Drinks and nibbles provided. Event free but booking essential due to popularity and limited capacity!

11/03/2026

🐝🪏Free Wildlife Gardening Event 🌳🌻 Hosted by Haslemere Biodiversity, come and join us for an informative evening at Haslemere Museum on April 7th from 6.30pm.

🦔 Guest Speaker: Dr Sophie Rasmussen (AKA Dr Hedgehog!)

🪶 Update on our Haslemere Swift Project

🪲 Consultation on our Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Drinks and nibbles provided! Event is free but booking essential due to the popularity of these events and limited capacity. Please book here ⬇️

Come and join Haslemere Biodiversity for an evening with guest speaker Dr Sophie Rasmussen, a worldwide Hedgehog expert.

10/03/2026

We’re proud to share that our Chair, Dr Philippa Guest, has been invited to speak at the Biodiversity & Planning Conference on 17 March 2026.

Being asked to speak is a huge compliment to the work happening here and an acknowledgement that our grassroots approach may be useful across Surrey. We strongly believe projects powered by volunteers, residents and enthusiasts can offer practical models for nature‑recovery far beyond our patch and are delighted to be asked to share learnings.

The conference brings together planners, ecologists and community leaders to explore how we can protect and restore nature for future generations. If you're interested in wildlife, green spaces and the future of our local environment, keep an eye out, we’ll share key insights after the event.

23/01/2026

Our AMAZING volunteers have now hand delivered Swift Project Recovery leaflets to target streets; Sandheath Road, Eight Acres, Churt Wynde, Clovelley Road, Linkside, Heath Close, Clovelley Drive, and Clovelley Park.

If you live on one of these and haven’t seen your leaflet… it might be time to ask any resident retrieval experts if they’ve intercepted the post 📬🐾

Let us know ([email protected]) if you need a copy and if you're considering it, but funds are an issue, please, please, let us know. We have support in place to enable everyone on the target streets can take part if they want to.

To those who have registered for a nest box already, thank you, thank you for helping find homes for our swifts again!

11/01/2026

We’re inspired by the fantastic work is doing to expose Coca‑Cola’s greenwashing, revealing that those “100 % recyclable” claims are false ♻️.

This isn’t just just about ugly plastic litter, it impacts our health. Studies estimate people ingest ~39k–52k particles a year, and bottled water can add ~90k more, with UK tests finding microplastics in both tap and bottled supplies. Research links this to inflammation, hormone disruption and increased risks of heart disease and cancer.

ClientEarth are shining a crucial light on these hidden dangers and helping us all demand meaningful change, not hollow labels. Let’s support their efforts and cut single-use plastics. for the sake of nature and our own health 🌍💧

Urge Coca-Cola to stop marketing single-use plastic as sustainable, by sending an email to Coca-Cola's CEO now.

06/01/2026

Our Swift Recovery Project leaflets have arrived!

If you live on one of our *target streets*, keep an eye out, they’ll be coming through your door in the next few days.

This spring, Haslemere Biodiversity is launching a community project to help bring swifts back to our skies. These incredible birds have declined sharply across the UK, but towns that have installed nest boxes are seeing numbers rise again. With your help, Haslemere can do the same.

🏡 Leaflets are being delivered to:
• Linkside, Eight Acres, Heath Close & Sandheath Road (Beacon Hill)
• Border Road, Oak Tree Lane and Fir Tree, Sunvale & Pitfold Avenues (Shottermill)
• Parts of High Lane Estate (Haslemere)

If you receive a leaflet, you’re eligible to take part in the installation scheme this March–April. If you hear about the project another way, you can still join our waitlist and we’ll prioritise nearby streets to maximise impact.

Want to get involved? email [email protected] to register interest or join the waitlist.

Let’s bring back the joy of swifts to our summer skies 🥰🥰🥰