Abundant Life Project  January 2024 to April 2025

funded by The National Lottery Climate Action Fund

Summary

Our Vision was to:

-          adapt to climate impacts by promoting abundance in soil, pollination and human generosity in order to see Nature as an ally.

-          build empathy across each community helping to shorten supply chains and improving the soil and habitat.

This is a small project with few staff hours dedicated to it and big ambitions. Activities began in January 2024 and measures were taken up to April 2025. Thus we are able to include the first annual measure of the impacts on the land and impacts on people.

Actions and impacts in relation to land and people are recorded here separately while bringing them back together in the conclusions. All the measured data and transcribed interviews presented here for land and people has been conducted as part of the Common Flora contribution to the project. They measured species diversity at 5 farms before and a year on where bespoke species of wildflowers seeds were carefully planted by Pollenize another of the project partners. Average botanical species richness increased by 105% from spring 2024 to spring 2025, and average invertebrate species richness has increased by 156% in the same period. Other community growing sites were similarly treated and we can expect would have had similar results had then been tested in the same way. Over 600 species recordings have been uploaded on to the iNaturalist site.

A total of 13 different types of nature focussed and survey activities took place on farms with local people by partners Common Flora and Food in Community. Farmers are changing their practice and behaviour as a result for example with woodland planting, field scale intercropping wildflower and pollinator planting. Farmers are now also doing their own ecosurveys and encouraging holiday guests to do so too. 2 of the organic farmers may buy and sell beef between each other which would help to shorten supply chains locally.

A total of 22 people were registered and interviewed by Common Flora at the start and after a year. Many more people attended events across the project. Using standardized and robust scales 21% of the participants measured by Common Flora had increased wellbeing scores of 21% and Nature Relatedness by 10%.  These statistics are borne out in the transcripts of interviews with people. The results are despite some deep fears about our collective future.

People have reported having their assumptions and attitudes changed about each other for example a young forester talking about getting to know and understand farmers better. Farm staff have newfound skills to continue the survey work we have started as they improve their nature focussed practise. Opinions and appreciation of our intimate relationships with the natural world have deepened as people have seen and learnt the connections between nature and human health for themselves through this experience. We have for example an experienced grower new to organic growing now seeing the cycle of nutrients much more clearly. Also many people articulating how they have become more aware of the importance of the wellbeing of nature if we are to collectively survive the climate crisis.

There has been a recognition that the work needs to continue if we are to see the environmental success broaden at the existing farms and go further with more farms. Also the need to work with children and young people who will carry the burden of climate change has been broadly expressed and recognized. In addition many people had ideas of engaging more members of our local communities.

A woman is is a refugee from Ukraine said at one of our events that it was the first time she had sat at a table to eat for a long time. Partners are all agreed more work with our local refugee and asylum seekers communities was successful and needs to continue.

Field or large scale perennial planting did not happen because the idea had relied on one relationship. One of the partners may pursue it in the future.

We conclude with a culmination of progressive ideas where local communities and farming families might become much more interconnected.  The smallscale vision has been achieved with evidenced biotic and human adaptations. The successes which can be built upon have been improving soil, biodiversity and human health and wellbeing.