A park in Tadley has won an award at the Wilder Awards 2025.
Ewhurst Park, in Ewhurst Road, won the Nature Restoration Project Award after its 925-acre estate was transformed by the community from a former shooting estate into a home for wildlife, including beavers and otters.
The award was one of the 16 handed out at The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust's award ceremony on October 23, hosted by trust president Megan McCubbin.
Miss McCubbin said: "I love the people in this area who are making a difference. There are some absolute gems of humanity that can be found across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
"People who go above and beyond to protect what we collectively love, and they do so with such vigour and passion, and inspire so many others. We are so lucky to be surrounded by such an active community. The people who volunteer their time, knowledge and most importantly their enthusiasm: this value cannot be underestimated."
In 2023, two beavers, the first in Hampshire for 400 years, were introduced at Ewhurst Park and have since started a family, creating new habitats and supporting species, including bats, birds, and insects.
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This year, otters have been recorded for the first time.
The park has been transformed by the community into grassland, scrub, wetlands, chalk grassland, woodland, hedgerows, and wildlife corridors.
The estate also hosts educational visits for local schools and community groups, alongside initiatives such as stone curlew plots, wild bee hives, planned food forests, and an organic vineyard.
