DURHAM Wildlife Trust is urging the people to increase their activities to help wildlife.

In conjunction with the People’s Postcode Lottery, the trust is seeking to collect 10,000 pledges which will demonstrate public support for a greener Wearside. The initiative, known as My Wild Sunderland, has just passed 1,500 pledges.

One person who signed up and is already making a huge difference is Terri Brooks, a self-employed childminder, who is responsible for 15 children and who lives in Oxclose, Washington, with six-year-old daughter Alice.

They and a team of local young people have carried out everything from litter-picking to erecting bird boxes.

Terri said: “The children have formed a gang, the Green House Gang, whose aim is to keep nature green.

“We went on to create posters for important missions and contacted Gentoo and Durham Wildlife Trust, who have helped with our operations.”

She added: “As an educator to the young people of today, it is my responsibility to ensure these innocent minds are filled with the importance and respect of the natural wildlife around us.”

“There’s not much space in the National Curriculum nor the school day to have hours outside spent observing, caring for and exploring nature. This is where I come in. Nature is all around us. In a barren world we wouldn’t survive so why is this not taught every day?

“So far we have teamed up with DWT and created bird boxes with families in the community, which have been erected by Gentoo in Oxclose. We also litter pick at least once a week on the school run, sometimes along with Gentoo in their community projects.

“Recently we discovered My Wild Sunderland and realised this is exactly what we are doing. We made a pledge and will continue with our hard work involving as many families as possible.

“We pledged to create a wild area in our garden, where we have a small pond, bug houses, bird boxes. Our next step so to sow our wild flower seeds to attract bees and birds. Finally, we hope to grow our own fruit, vegetable and herbs on a small piece of grass Gentoo have allowed us to adopt.”

Visit https://durhamwt.com/mywildsunderland/