A team of volunteers from Sustainable Keswick spent a morning planting bluebells and sowing wildflower seeds at Elizabeth’s Woodland.
This is an area of land in Fitz Park behind the BMX track which the group, with the permission of Fitz Park Trust and with funding from the former Cumbria County Council Environment Fund, is re-wilding in memory of Elizabeth Barraclough who died last year.
“Elizabeth was an inspiration to us,” said Joe Human, for the group. “She would be so thrilled to see how the place is growing. Virtually all the trees and hedgerow plants we put in last year are looking strong and healthy.
“The parks staff have built a seat in the middle from the oak felled from behind the cricket club and now that there is a hard path through the woodland access is so much easier.”
“The planting out of Elizabeth’s Woodland is a really great example of partnership work,” said Cllr Sally Lansbury, who has led on the delivery of the project. “We have had support from around 60 volunteers at various planting dates over the past two years.
“We have had assistance from Keswick Parks’ manager in making the benches and we have had valuable advice from the Woodland Trust. The site will mature and will encourage a raft of wildlife to the area as well as helping to trap more water and absorb carbon from the atmosphere.”
Sustainable Keswick has also been working in partnership with the Woodland Trust and Cumberland Council on other areas locally, including the flood alleviation basin on Springs Road (aka ‘Springs Tarn’) where they have planted hundreds of young trees and shrubs. This planting is designed to bring pollinators and small mammals into the field, which in turn will encourage greater bird life.
A third plot is at the Borrowdale Roundabout, which may look well shorn at the moment – which is all part of the plan – it should produce a good display of wildflowers later this spring including daisies, plantain, hawkbit, wild carrot and field scabious.
A further wildflower area is now in the making on Lakeland Park.
Anyone who would like to help Sustainable Keswick in the group’s work to reduce carbon emissions and improve biodiversity in Keswick, should contact: [email protected]
Remembering Elizabeth Barraclough at Keswick tree planting
Work starts on Elizabeth’s Woodland in Keswick thanks to volunteers
Elizabeth Barraclough will be missed by the entire Keswick community
