Real biodiversity recovery and resilience does not happen from behind a desk. It takes roots from boots in the wetlands, hands in the soil and sound ecological science shared directly with our communities. At EcoLearn LOL, despite little funding or recognition since Covid we have still been engaging people of all ages and abilities with their local natural environment. From surveying protected Great Crested Newts and native reptiles across Lincolnshire to digging wildlife ponds, sowing genuine Lincolnshire Provenance wildflower meadows, and leading curriculum-based outdoor science enquiries from chalk streams to coastal sand dunes, our team is out in the field making a measurable difference.
When we talk about protecting our natural heritage, attention often drifts toward vast national nature reserves or high-profile international campaigns. Yet true ecological resilience like that old charity chestnut, begins much closer to home. It takes root in our local schoolyards, across our ancient chalk streams, within parish wildlife corridors and beneath the leaf litter of community greenspaces. At EcoLearn LOL, our mission is clear: we specialise in engaging people of all ages and abilities with their local natural environment. Biodiversity recovery is not a spectator sport, it is our local ecosystem opportunity ro get hands in the soil, boots in the wetlands and admin layer ecological science translated into meaningful, everyday community action.
Ecosystem restoration does demand some credible field expertise combined with genuine community connection and our leadership reflects that balance. Ashley serves as the Lincolnshire County Recorder for reptiles and amphibians. Fully licensed by Natural England to survey the protected Great Crested Newt, he actively supports the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union and provides essential biological records directly to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust records centre. Working alongside him within the Ecolearn senior leadership team is Martin Murphy who is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and author of From Mercenaries to Missionaries. Martin specialises in learning and community development, helping groups adapt, connect, and thrive by aligning human intelligence and resilience with the living intelligence of nature.
Together, we turn this deep domain expertise into practical community empowerment. We can and do survey for reptiles and amphibians, while providing comprehensive field training for local volunteers in robust survey techniques. Our sessions equip everyday people to identify and record priority species with confidence, including Great Crested Newts, smooth newts, palmate newts, frogs and toads, alongside reptiles like adders, grass snakes, slow worms, and common lizards. This citizen science work builds lasting local capability while providing vital conservation data across the county.
Rebuilding Lincolnshire’s biodiversity also means physically putting back what belongs. We sow authentic Lincolnshire Provenance wildflower seed to create genetically sound wildflower meadows, and we dig dedicated wildlife ponds for schools and partner organisations. Complementing this physical work, we deliver practical pond-dipping training and species identification alongside curriculum-based outdoor learning for science. This supports primary schools, GCSE cohorts, and A-Level students by turning their own school grounds into living laboratories, as well as taking them offsite to investigate rare chalk streams, rivers, and coastal habitats such as saltmarshes and sand dunes.
Conservation cannot afford to be passive, which is why we actively support our volunteers with practical, hands-on habitat management skills. Our teams get stuck into the removal of aggressive invasive species, traditional hedge laying, and wildflower planting. Crucially, we train volunteers to carry out detailed plant species surveys so we can monitor our sites over time and demonstrate genuine, measurable biodiversity improvement.
Ultimately, EcoLearn LOL combines grassroots passion with the organisational capability and project management experience required to deliver complex environmental initiatives at scale. We know how to engage meaningfully with the public, liaise effectively with regional stakeholders, and amplify our shared successes through active online media and local news channels. By uniting scientific monitoring with hands-on education, we are ensuring Lincolnshire’s wildlife and communities grow resilient together.