Sandown North, Cllr Debbie Andre, is keen is to establish an Eden Project Community at the area around Dinosaur Isle and Brown’s in Sandown. she shares here vision here, in her own words. Ed
I believe that we now have a genuine opportunity to bring Dinosaur Isle, Brown’s and the Isle of Wight Zoo into a combined scheme of an Eden Project Community.
We need to think of the area as a whole and how we can sensitively develop the project into a world class attraction, promoting both our proud heritage whilst protecting the natural environment.
More than a traditional idea of a Biome
Coming out of the pandemic gives us an opportunity to take a different approach. An Eden Project community would be so much more than just the traditional idea of a Biome enclosing tropical rainforests and exotic plants.
I see the potential for an area where we could host a craft market and give the opportunity for local start-ups to trade.
Involved schools and community groups
We could also involve groups such as our fabulous Sandown Green Town Volunteers and encourage our community groups to get involved in the various projects.
There’s also a huge potential for involving our local schools. Brown’s could be regenerated as a Community Hub.
The Zoo could also be an integral part of this project in promoting wildlife conservation in which, through their Wildheart Trust, they have already done some tremendous work.
Bringing communities closer to our environment
In order to preserve our Biosphere status, we need to evidence that we promote the connection between our communities and the environment.
The project that I am proposing would tick all of those boxes. I have contacted the Eden Project in Cornwall to discuss how we put this into practice and make this a reality once we can all come together properly again as a community.
Councils need to be on board
However, in order for such a project to be successful we need community engagement and a positive working relationship with both Sandown Town Council and the IOW Council.
We already have some very active and energetic members of our community that have shown support for this project and I believe that, post-Covid, we can all come together as a team to make this happen.
Get in touch
If anyone is interested in being a part of this exciting project, they are urged to contact Debbie directly by email: [email protected]
Image: Richard Szwejkowski under CC BY 2.0
