Milton Creek Picks Up Wilder Kent Award

Milton Creek Country Park have won Silver at this year’s Wilder Kent Awards for their hard work in helping to create a Wilder Kent.

The awards, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, saw 87 organisations shortlisted and their efforts resulted in a staggering 120,000 people in the county receiving the nature benefits from the actions taken by the entrants. The finalists covered four categories, businesses, community groups, schools and villages, towns and cities. 18 received the highest accolade of gold, 23 silver, 27 bronze and 19 awarded commendations.

They received their award at a special ceremony at Canterbury University on Saturday 20th July, hosted by TV presenter and producer of 'Talk on the Wild Side' Podcast, Rob Smith. The Wilder Kent Awards were set up by Kent Wildlife Trust in 2020 as a way of recognising and rewarding the positive actions that groups across Kent are taking in order to protect wildlife and safeguard nature for future generations.

Kent Wildlife Trust’s Tom White, told SFM News: "We were absolutely bowled away by both the quantity and quality of this year's entries. The work that is going on in the county to create a wilder Kent is outstanding. When we are constantly faced with negativity about the nature and climate emergencies, it can be overwhelming, but here are 87 projects that are making a signifi cant diff erence to the people living in Kent from which around 120,000 would have benefi tted. From community gardens to schemes to tackle food waste and other harnessing renewable energy, these awards empower people, and demonstrate that we all have it in us to do something special that makes a difference."

One of the volunteer's from the Friends of Milton Creek Country Park told SFM News: "We are absolutely thrilled to receive the Wilder Kent Silver Award from Kent Wildlife Trust! The achievement is a collective endeavor involving all volunteers, from marketing to maintaining the park's cleanliness, tidiness, and accessibility for local residents. Across the Swale area, several other parks have also been recognised, highlighting the shared passion and dedication of everyone towards wildlife conservation".

Kent Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation charity with more than 31,000 members and over 1000 registered volunteers. They manage and protect over 9000 acres of land across more than 80 different sites and nature reserves, alongside 3 visitor centres and they work closely with local communities, landowners and partners to protect and improve habitats in the countryside, coast and town for the benefi t of the wildlife and people of Kent.