A Breathing Place is somewhere you can escape the hassles of everyday life and get your hands dirty; where you can listen to birdsong, admire the bluebells in Spring and appreciate the stunning colours in Autumn. Quite simply, it’s a place where you, your family and friends can rediscover the wonders of nature.’

Over the next three years, the BBC is joining forces with the wildlife charities of the UK to publicise, popularise and rejuvenate wild and public breathing places’ across the country. The aim is to encourage everyone to get involved in visiting, volunteering and transform-ing local spaces to create pleasant and wildlife-friendly habitats which can be enjoyed for years to come.

Places targeted in the campaign will include parks, school areas, workplace grounds, riverbanks and coastal regions, cemeteries and nature reserves. One of the project partners, Big Lottery Fund, has offered specialist small grants for the improvement of breathing places’, which will receive funding from the beginning of May 2007.
The comprehensive mini-website can help you find out about the visiting and volunteering opportunities at breathing places’ near you, as well as offering free advice for community groups on how to transform local spaces. So what are you waiting for? Get your wellies out, button up your coat and go explore!

Contact: www.bbc.co.uk/breathingplaces
or British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) Tel: 01302 388883
Website: www.btcv.org

Photo: © Jane Alexander/BTCV