COMMUNITY groups across Wales are being asked to come up with amazing ideas that celebrate local wildlife and bring people together.

So if you have an interesting and exciting idea for a project that brings people together through activities that connect their community and celebrate UK native wildflowers, plants and fungi, Grow Wild wants to hear from you.

In the past year projects delivered in Wales have included a huge sand art drawing on a west Wales beach, the transformation of uninspiring spaces into tranquil havens, projects and events on arts and wellbeing, developing derelict spaces into wildflower retreats and reinventing empty grazing land as a native wildflower meadow.

One of the successful recipients was Cardigan Youth art project MicroMACRO Aberteifi.

Project leader Gwenda Mark explained the idea behind the project and what they have been doing,

“With our funding from Grow Wild and support from Cardigan’s 4CG, we enlisted the help of artist Marc Treanor and Rachel Shiamh to create inspiring sand art,” she said.

“The aim of the project was to encourage people to look closely at wildflowers and observe the complexity and beauty of natural forms.

“We concentrated on the dandelion, Dant y Llew in Welsh, one of the most reviled yet essential plants for nutrient accumulation and human medicines.

“Our Aberteifi land art group expanded the microscopic images onto the macroscopic scale in sand – some blown up a million fold!

“I’d encourage anyone with creative ideas to go ahead and apply.”

For more information on how to apply, go to the Grow Wild website at www.growwilduk.com. The closing date is 15 January.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition now