Community celebrates opening of Oldfield Meadow wildlife site

This Love Parks Week (26 July to 4 August), visit the newly opened Oldfield Meadow wildlife site in Hampton and discover a peaceful new space where nature, learning and community can thrive.

Formerly a school sports field that has not been in active use for some time, the site has been taken on by the Council and is being transformed into a dedicated wildlife space that will protect and enhance local biodiversity while providing opportunities for residents, schools, and visitors to connect with nature.  

The opening event brought together local residents, volunteers and partner organisations to celebrate the site’s future. Children from neighbouring St Mary’s CE Primary School unveiled the new wildlife site sign, marking the start of an exciting new opportunity for outdoor learning. With the school’s grounds backing directly onto the meadow, pupils will be able to use the site to explore local wildlife and develop an understanding of conservation.  

One local child at the opening event summed up the excitement of the day perfectly, saying they would “come here every day after school!”.  

Families enjoyed a range of nature-themed activities including seed sowing in paper potters, cardboard wildlife crafts and a nature scavenger hunt. Young explorers discovered a wide variety of species around the site, from plants to insects such as grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles and butterflies, demonstrating the abundance of wildlife already thriving there. Local volunteer group Hampton Heath Friends have begun recording wildlife on the site using iNaturalist, helping to build a picture of the species found. Early observations include fungi, wildflowers, and a diverse range of insects. Visitors can contribute their own findings through iNaturalist, with observations verified by the platform’s community of wildlife experts.

The site will now remain open 24/7 for people to enjoy. Future plans include a Miyawaki micro forest, native hedgerow and bulb planting, bug hotel and bee bank installations, and a pond to support the diverse range of birds, amphibians, pollinators and other wildlife that call the site home.

At Habitats & Heritage, we have been supporting the borough with community engagement and practical conservation work, including recent hedge planting on the site. Local residents are warmly invited to get involved and help shape the future of Oldfield Meadow wildlife site. We are looking to bring together a new Friends Group to help guide ideas for the site and encourage community stewardship. There will also be opportunities to take part in one-off volunteer activities, such as habitat creation, wildlife monitoring, practical conservation work and community events. If you are interested in getting involved in any way, contact Sophia from Habitats & Heritage at sophia@habitatsandheritage.org.uk.

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