Scaling for Impact: Going Digital with Weald to Waves
As Weald to Waves grows, one question is always at the forefront of our minds: how can we keep scaling our work without affecting our ability to make a real impact on the ground?
We are privileged to work alongside an incredible and rapidly growing network of farmers, land managers, gardeners, and communities. We’re also in the fortunate position of being constantly overwhelmed (in the best way) by the level of interest in the project. Capturing that energy is vital, but so is ensuring we’re growing in a meaningful, sustainable way.
We’ve worked hard, and continue to do so, to plan how we can expand our advice, guidance, and support across the corridor. Maintaining strong personal relationships with our members is crucial, made possible by two key members of our team: our Gardens and Greenspaces Coordinator and our Landscape Advisor. However, as interest in Weald to Waves continues to rise, we also need to find innovative ways to scale these efforts while keeping that personal connection.
To support this ambition, we’ve begun to explore how digital tools can help us grow by complimenting, rather than replacing, our personalised approach while ensuring we are doing everything we can to facilitate nature recovery at every scale.
We are proud to launch our Members Area, which offers a growing range of tools and resources to support nature recovery, whether you are a land manager considering regenerative practices or a gardener looking to create habitats.
For our Farmers and Land Managers, we have created guidance and resources on a range of topics designed to complement the direct advice our Landscape Advisor gives on the ground. These include blogs on identifying and managing the many habitats found in Sussex, as well as an introduction to Natural Capital. We are also developing innovative ideas such as a digital tool to connect graziers with landowners who need livestock to manage grasslands and improve soil health and biodiversity.
For our Gardens and Greenspaces members, the new Actions for Nature tool is live in the Members Area! This was created in direct response to feedback from members, who wanted to choose actions suited to their space and level of experience. The result is something completely new for Sussex and for Weald to Waves. We are already seeing a flurry of pledges to take more action, which is great news for wildlife across Sussex.
“There’s lots to explore in the new members’ area, with more tips and insights to come. So join us there and see how you can help wildlife, no matter how big or small your garden or green space.”
Kate Bradbury, Author and Gardens and Greenspaces Ambassador
We have also created the opportunity for you to advertise your events with the Weald to Waves network through the Events Calendar. We want to hear your stories too, whether you’re an individual gardener, a church, school or part of a community group. Get in touch and let’s share your brilliant work through our Members Stories area.
These tools are designed to help us to facilitate nature recovery beyond the corridor. Anyone in Sussex can access these resources and play a role in connecting the landscape. Going digital doesn’t mean losing the personal touch. In fact, it enables us to support more people, more effectively, while staying true to the values that guide Weald to Waves. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to keep working to help our network contribute to a thriving, connected landscape.