01895 270730 iver.environment@groundwork.org.uk

Support us

Help us create a Pollinators Rain Garden

We would like you to help us to fundraise for a new outdoor teaching garden where visitors will be surrounded by nature. Children will discover how to protect pollinators and the plants they rely on in a changing world.

Water use in a changing climate.
Our old leaking pond will be given a lease of new life as planting shelves, coir rolls, ramps and pebbles improves the habitat quality for native amphibians and allows them to easily access the pond even with a fluctuating water level due to modern weather patterns.
The planting also showcases techniques visitors can use at home to ensure they have attractive wildlife ponds in times of drought or flooding.
We will refurbish our water wheel to aerate the water and provide a feature of interest – drawing attention to how we are reusing rainwater/runoff.
 
Discovering pollinators

We will replant the garden with a variety of flowers that flower at different times and attract different pollinators. These will improve the health of the planet by providing a complex habitat and range of food sources for a wide variety of native wildlife.

A class of 30 can use this space as they participate in an open air teaching session about pollinators. They will dress up as bees to crawl inside a giant flower and get covered in pollen. Protected by a safety screen they will observe our honey bees in their hives before acting out the waggle dance. We will plant flowers of different colours and scents so that they can investigate which pollinators are found on which plants, learning about insects using our ID sheets. After learning about the parts of the flower, students will be equipped with paint brushes to hand pollinate the flowers in the rain garden.
 
Visitors not taking part in an educational activity in the pollinators’ rain garden will be able to use the interpretation boards to learn about the bees, and enjoy watching bumble bees, butterflies, beetles and more enjoying the flowers planted as part of the project. The new colourful, dense flowerbeds will create a feeling of wellbeing for visitors whilst enhancing biodiversity.
 
The Water Saving Garden
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show bronze medal winning Water Saving Garden, designed by Sam Proctor, has been donated to Iver Environment Centre by Affinity Water. This beautiful garden will be the cornerstone of our new space as it showcases drought tolerant plants, rainwater reuse techniques and sustainable materials.
DONATE TO OUR POLLINATORS RAIN GARDEN
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Fundraise for us or donate

Iver Environmental Centre is always grateful for the support of our local community. We’re a small but committed team and our large site requires a lot of maintenance, plus the occasional big landscaping job to keep it safe and looking good for our visitors.

We’re always looking for local people and businesses who would like to support us in our mission to provide a safe and magical space for children to discover the wonders and benefits of nature.

The equipment and materials we currently need can be seen on our Amazon wishlist.

Alternatively you can donate online through Paypal:

DONATE WITH PAYPAL

Here are some materials your donation will be spent on:

  • £5 would buy enough seeds for 300 students to dissect one each and identify the different parts
  • £7 would buy a large bag of compost for planting seeds in our greenhouse
  • £20 would buy smell pots for students to use their sense of smell whilst becoming “Herb Detectives.”
  • £60 would buy us a puncture proof wheelbarrow
  • £100 would pay for new bird feeders and enough bird food to last a year
  • £250 would build a raised bed for people with mobility issues to plant in
  • £300 would sponsor a full day visit from a class that cannot afford to come to Iver Environment Centre
If you, your organisation or business would like to raise funds or donate to Iver Environment Centre, we’d love to hear from you: