On The Verge – Ely and Villages

Creating pollinator-friendly parks, patches and verges!

Who we are and what we do
We are a group of locals from Ely and surrounding villages who work with councils and residents to establish areas of wildflowers in parks, on verges, and other green spaces. Our inspirations are the On The Verge groups in places like Cambridge and Stirling who have had great success setting up wildflower patches loved by the public and insects alike.

Why we do it
We all know that bees and other pollinators are under threat at the moment, and need all the help they can get! Most experts agree that a lack of food in the countryside (due to large-scale agricultural activity) is one of the challenges insects are facing, although there are many others too like chemical and light pollution. Evidence shows that bees and other pollinators are moving to urban areas in search of food, attracted by the nectar-rich garden plants – and we want to enhance this by managing our urban green space in the best possible way for pollinators.

Our aim is to provide an abundance of food sources for bees and other insects, and make Ely and its surrounds as welcoming to them as possible. Of course, wildflowers make people happy too, which is a bonus!

We need you!
We would love to help you and your neighbourhood set up a wildflower patch on your doorstep – or in another green space you think would benefit. Please do get in touch about new projects, or to comment on existing ones you have seen! If you are really committed and would like to help with planning then there is probably also a space for you on the committee… drop us a line.

From time to time we will also be looking for sponsorship or crowdfunding for specific projects. In the meantime, if you would like to contribute please contact us via the email below.

Contact us
at elyontheverge@gmail.com

or chat to us on Facebook