Join Dorset Wildlife Trust and the Dorset Countryside team on 3rd December to make your mark in creating a brand new woodland that will stand for generations to come. This community event aims to make a real difference to local conservation, by planting native trees to create a new habitat for wildlife, and an enjoyable new environment for the community.
The Wild About Weymouth and Portland partnership is planting 500 native trees, with oak, ash, hazel and hawthorn being among the species that will be added to Horselynch Plantation. The extension of this woodland is part of the mitigation for land lost during the construction of the Weymouth Relief Road. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Lorton Meadows nature reserve will double in size, linking to Lodmoor Nature Reserve and Country Park and creating a diverse wildlife-friendly habitat for both people and wildlife within the borough.
A real sense of achievement
Samantha Dallimore, Community Conservation Officer for Dorset Wildlife Trust said “The woodland already supports a great deal of wildlife including rare noctule bats, green and great spotted woodpeckers, and speckled wood butterflies. You feel a real sense of achievement after planting a tree even more so as you watch the woodland grow, walk through it and know that you have contributed to this amazing habitat”.
This opportunity to be involved in woodland creation has been made available to everyone by Wild About Weymouth and Portland, a partnership between Dorset Wildlife Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Dorset Countryside and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council. The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund through Natural England’s Access to Nature programme, to encourage people to discover, enjoy and help conserve the borough’s wonderful natural environment.
No experience needed
The Community Tree Planting event will take place on Saturday 3rd December, 10am till 3pm, at the northern end of Horselynch Plantation, known locally as Teddy Bear Woods (SY684824). No experience is needed, as advice will be given and all equipment, including tools, gloves and trees, will be provided. The nearest parking will be on Louviers Road, near Top Club, Littlemoor, Weymouth. Follow the arrows to the planting site. Alternatively the site can be accessed on foot from Southdown Avenue, follow the footpath to Lodmoor/Southdown fields and up the hill towards Littlemoor. For more information please contact Samantha Dallimore on sdallimore@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk or call 01305 816546.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
1. For more information please contact Samantha Dallimore at Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01305 816546.
For our latest news RSS feed, see /c2/rss/dwt_latest_news.xml
Wild About Weymouth and Portland is a partnership project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund through Natural England’s Access to Nature programme, involving Dorset Wildlife Trust, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Dorset Countryside (DCC) and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council. The project aims to improve access in and between important wildlife sites in the borough and encourage local people and visitors to discover, enjoy and help conserve the wonderful natural environment of Weymouth and Portland.
Additional funding has been provided by Portland Gas Trust and the AONB.
2. Access to Nature is run by Natural England and is part of the The Big Lottery Fund’s
Changing Spaces programme launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and
improve their local environments.
3. Natural England manages this £28.75 million Lottery-funded programme on behalf
of a consortium of twelve national environmental organisations comprising BTCV,
British Waterways, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Greenspace,
Groundwork UK, Land Restoration Trust, The National Trust, Natural England,
RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust.
4. Through this programme, it is Natural England’s ambition to create opportunities
for people from all backgrounds to have greater access to our natural environment
and bring a lasting change to their awareness and understanding as well as
improved links to the natural world, which many of us can take for granted.
5. Access to Nature closed to applications in May 2010 but for further information
about the programme visit www.naturalengland.org.uk/accesstonature
6. The Big Lottery Fund is the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004.For further information about the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
|
Existing woodland at Lorton Meadows
Photo by Nicky Hoar
Lorton Meadows trees
Photo by Dorset Wildlife Trust
|
home | events | contact us | e-news signup | recruiters | jobs