Dronfield Town Council have promoted a number of initiatives across Dronfield to encourage Biodiversity and support natural ecosystems. Working in conjunction with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, these include:

• Wildflower Meadows - Wildflowers and wildflower-rich habitats, such as meadows, provide valuable support for insects and other wildlife. Pollinators – bees, butterflies, moths, flies, wasps and more – rely on wildflowers as a vital source of food. In turn, 60 to 80 per cent of the world's flowering plant species rely on animals to pollinate them, including many of our important food crops. Insects that feed on wildflowers also provide a food source for other animals and help to reduce the numbers of pests like aphids that attack crops. Wildflower Meadows are planted each year at Sindelfingen Park.

• Community Orchard - Orchards invite nature into the urban environment and provide a refuge in which it can flourish. Just as traditional orchards were often the centre of village life and a cornerstone of the rural economy, community orchards are excellent places for people to come together for community to use as a green haven. In 2007, traditional orchards were designated as a priority habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan because of the wildlife – a variety of flora and fauna – that can be supported by this environment – insects, birds, bees, bats, foxes and small mammals as well as wild flowers. The Dronfield Community Orchard is expecting the delivery of trees in December 2024.

• Bird Boxes - Providing nest boxes is one of the easiest ways to help birds in outdoor space. Putting out bird food is great, but if birds don't have access to nesting sites, they won't have anywhere to raise the next generation. It's also key that the nest sites are nearby to foraging locations, where they can find plenty of invertebrates without leaving the nest for too long. There are a number of bird boxes installed across Dronfield parks.

• Bat Boxes - Bat boxes are artificial roosts designed to provide bats with alternative resting places or to encourage bats into areas where there are few existing suitable roost sites. Providing bat boxes can increase opportunities for roosting bats but it can take a while for bat boxes to be used regularly, particularly where a number of suitable alternative roost sites exist. There are a number of bat boxes installed within Dronfield Cemetery.

• Tree planting / Replacement trees - As per the Tree policy, If a tree is felled due to it being dead, diseased, dying or dangerous, replacement planting of trees will taker place on a "new tree planted for every tree felled" basis to ensure continuity of the tree stock within Dronfield. Replacement tree planting is ongoing in Dronfield.

• Hedgehog Highways - With numbers in decline and hedgehog awareness on the rise, there has never been a better time to get involved in hedgehog conservation. A Hedgehog Highway is a 5 inch gap in a fence and is essential in the battle to prevent the extinction of the hedgehog. This gap allows them to forage for food, access nesting sites and meet other hedgehogs. The hedgehog shaped fence surrounds raise awareness to the plight of hedgehogs, create talking points and encourage others to take part in the project. The Council gave out 50 free Hedgehog Highways to Dronfield residents at the 2024 Dronfield Gala.

• Seed Bombs - Wildflower seed bombs are little ecosystems containing pollinator friendly wildflower seeds. Seed Bombs protect native wildflower seeds from being eaten by wildlife, providing ideal conditions for wildflower seeds to grow and support pollinators. Seed bombs are a mixture of sifted soil, compost and a mix of native UK wildflower seed species. The Council gave out free seed bomb packs to Dronfield residents at the 2024 Dronfield Gala.

• Dronfield Nature Park - Dronfield Nature park is located off Chesterfield Road. An area where nature is given the chance to recover and thrive with a mixture of habitats and wildlife corridors.

At the September 2019 Council Meeting, Dronfield Town Council declared a climate emergency and resolved to take action, to the best of its ability, to help towards achieving a shift to zero carbon emissions by 2050, or sooner if possible. It resolved to work within its remit to contribute to the targets as set out within government policies and will endeavour to reduce its carbon emissions accordingly. The Council will also help promote and encourage environmentally friendly initiatives that will contribute to the protection of the local environment.

This follows on from the creation of the Environmental Advisory Committee early in 2019, whose remit is as follows;

1. To consider matters of policy related to environmental services provided by the Town Council.
2. To review possible environmental initiatives that the Town Council could undertake now and in the future.
3. To recommend to the Budget Committee the budget required to undertake environmental initiatives in any one year.
4. To make recommendations on the environmental impact of the Town Council's services and activities.

Ongoing activities and those already undertaken

Details of some of the activities already undertaken can be seen below;

• LED lighting has been installed throughout the car parks at Cliffe Park and Coal Aston.
• An electric vehicle is used by the Town Council's outside services team.
• Two wild flower meadows have been planted within Sindelfingen Park and at Hilltop, these are now an annual fixture.
• A number of trees have been given away to local residents as part of the Town Councils ongoing Tree Planting Project in partnership with Ferndale Garden Centre.
• Discussions are ongoing with Derbyshire County Council with regards to install 'no idling' signage outside local primary schools.
• A grant was given to the Lea Brook Valley Project to provide all the materials to improve a footpath, which will hopefully encourage more people to walk to a local school.
• A grant has been given to support a local community event being organised by Plastic Free Dronfield.

2023

• 20 new trees were planted in Sindelfingen Park and additional ones were planted at Birches Fold play area.

2024

• A number of bird and bat boxes have been installed in the parks and Cemetery.
• Derbyshire Wildlife Trust have been commissioned to carry out a Bio-Diversity Audit on behalf of the Town Council.
• The Town Council adopted a Bio-Diversity Policy in March 2024.
• A further 20 new trees have been planted in parks across the town to replace those that have been felled for various reasons.
• Seed bombs and hedgehog highways were given away to residents at the Dronfield Gala.