Men in Sheds is part of the Myplace ecotherapy project delivered by Lancashire Wildlife Trust in partnership with Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Ecotherapy involves reconnecting people with the outdoors in order to improve their health and wellbeing. But this project can also be beneficial for the natural environment as more and more people are being empowered to take action for their green spaces.
Men in Sheds sessions are for men aged 50 and over who regularly get together to share and develop their skills, forge new friendships and build confidence.
Participants work together to design and develop personal projects called ‘green space challenges’ that benefit both local communities and the natural environment. Projects like building bird feeders, bird boxes and even a sparrow terrace are all great ways for the men to use their skills to improve spaces for people and wildlife.
Men in Sheds participants based at Mere Sands Wood nature reserve have been working hard to coordinate a number of green space challenges which have benefitted wildlife based at the reserve and further afield.
John Lancaster and John Woodthorpe demonstrated their impressive skills and creativity recently when designing and building an attractive three-tiered habitat home that now lives deep within the woods at the nature reserve. The bottom level of the habitat home provides the perfect shelter for hedgehogs to nestle in, the middle section is a removable bug hotel and the roof acts as a bird-feeder.
More recently, work has just been completed on a couple of impressive barn owl boxes which will hopefully provide a happy home for these stunning birds and their families in the near future. Work has also begun on making a bench to go in the same area as the three-tiered habitat home.
Men in Sheds sessions are great for anyone looking to reconnect with nature and communities and keep involved in practical work, building on a life-time of skills and experiences.
If you want to find out more about Myplace or Men in Shed’s head to our webpage – www.lancswt.org.uk/myplace and follow us on social media (twitter, facebook and Instagram).