05 July 2009A host of residents from across the District will be rewarded for making their gardens more inviting for local wildlife at a record breaking celebration evening later this week.
More than 100 residents, the most ever, from across the District will be presented with gold, silver, bronze or highly commended awards at the Wildlife Gardening Celebration Evening when it is held this Thursday (27 September) at the Sevenoaks Community Centre.
The evening is part of Sevenoaks District Council's 'Gardening for Wildlife' Award Scheme, run in partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust, and the awards will be presented by Cllr James Gaywood, the Chairman of Sevenoaks District Council.
The scheme, which is launched every March, is aimed at making local gardens more tempting for wildlife, and is open to individuals, community groups and schools.
Entrant's gardens are assessed on how plants and shrubs were used to help wildlife such as birds, hedgehogs and butterflies as well as other factors including composting, saving water, avoiding peat products and the provision of nest boxes and feeding areas.
This year 69 gardens were entered that were completely new to the scheme, and over the last three years the scheme has more than doubled in size to over 100 entrants, and has recently been nominated for a national Green Apple Award for environmental best practice.
Cllr Felicity Broomby, the Council's Cabinet member with responsibility for Quality Services, says: "Every year the 'Gardening for Wildlife' scheme gets more and more popular. The celebration evening is a just reward for everyone who has put such much effort into making their gardens more inviting for local wildlife."
The evening will run from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and will feature guest speakers from the Kent Ornithology Society and a presentation by teachers and pupils from St. John's Church of England Primary School.
