Wild about Plants - Bee Scene

Bee Scene is part of the national project Wild about Plants, delivered by Plantlife, the organisation working to protect and conserve wild plants in the UK.

Community groups, schools and families are invited to take part in a new survey to spot bee-friendly wildflowers in parks and green spaces. By looking out for 15 types of wildflower that bumblebees thrive on, Plantlife and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust hope to be able to see if bumblebees have enough pollen for them to flourish.
 
For more information please visit Wild About Plants here.

World Environmental Day - 5th June 2010

Organised by United Nations Environmental Programme, World Environmental Day is global day for positive, environmental action, raising awareness of the environment and encouraging political attention and action.

If you would like more information please visit their website here.

Reaching Communities Programme Reopens

 The Big Lottery Reaching Communities programme funds projects that help people and communities who are most in need, and can really make a difference. Projects can be new or existing activities, or be the core work of your organisation.

It funds projects that respond to needs identified by communities, and those that fund projects that help those most in need, including those people or groups who are hard to reach.
They want to encourage the following changes to communities as a result of our funding:

• People having better chances in life, including being able to get better access to training and development to improve their life skills.
• Strong communities, with more active citizens, working together to tackle their problems.
• Improved rural and urban environments, which communities are better able to access and enjoy
• Healthier and more active people and communities.

The Reaching Communities budget will be at least £100 million each year until 2013.
 
For more details please visit the Reaching Communities website here.

Designated Public Place

The Green Heart Den is now officially a Designated Public Place, covered by an Alcohol Designation Order.

Details of the order can be viewed and/or downloaded here.

Thank you to all who helped us to obtain this designation.

Wildflower Seed Success

The wildflower seeds - purchased from wildflower conservation charity Landlife, and scattered by Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens as part of their John Muir Award activities - are beginning to flower on the north plot banking and attract a variety of wildlife.

For additional pictures of our natural wildlife haven please visit our Flickr photo set here.

Our Green Space - FREE training for communities

Thanks to those local communities who have already been in touch to offer their sites for training sessions for management plans, Our Green Space now have a range of interesting sites and situations and have set the first part of the programme as follows. For advice on which may be most relevant to your needs, to book a free place or if you are interested in hosting an event, please get in touch.

From Management Objectives to Actions on the Ground:
Developing a set of volunteer actions from Management Plan objectives.
Millom Ironworks Local Nature Reserve - Saturday 12 June at 10.00 a.m.

Managing for Wildlife:
How to improve rough grassland to create habitats and encourage wildlife.
Braithwaite Common (near Keswick) - Tuesday 15 June at 7.00 p.m.

Managing Common Problems:
Writing a management plan for village greens including practical discussion on parking and access.
Dufton Village – Tuesday 29 June at 7.00 p.m.

Preparing a Management Plan – starting from scratch.
Issues to consider when creating a new plan for an open space
Bolton near Appleby – Monday 5 July 7.30 p.m.

Developing a Management Plan – building on success.
Creating a plan for a site where improvements have been made and more are planned.
Ravenstonedale – Tuesday 13 July at 2.00 p.m.

How to Write a Management Plan:
Taking account of heritage, biodiversity, access, recreation and interpretation.
Threlkeld – Saturday 24 July 10.30 a.m.

Each session lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours. Delegates will receive a comprehensive course pack and a copy of Open Green Spaces - A Guide to Common Management Issues.

For more information and to book your free places, please contact Shirley Muir: Email: shirleymuir7@btinternet.com

Tel: 016973 20803 Mob: 077755 28786

*Our Green Space project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Friends of the Lake District in partnership with Action with Communities in Cumbria (ACT) www.ourgreenspace.org.uk

Furness College Seat Design Presentation

Project Coordinator Graham Bromley (right) presenting Furness College Andrew Peter Wilkes with a graphics tablet for his work in producing the final, chosen seat design . The art and design department were also presented with several graphics tablets for their work in the seat design process.

Funding for the graphics tablets was provided from the grant we received from Our Green Space.

Currently we are exploring options for having the seat fabricated locally. Potentially this could include the involvement of the joinery department at Furness College.

For additional pictures detailing the design process please visit our Flickr photo gallery here.

Thank you to Rosie Hillman for the pictures.

One Of Our Cinnabar.........

Resembling no other British species, except perhaps the burnets (Zygaenidae), this is a fairly common moth in much of Britain. It is generally nocturnal, but is quite often disturbed during the day from long grass, low herbage etc. At night, it comes to light. The distinctive larvae, with their yellow and black hoops, generally feed gregariously on ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and other related plants. The flight period is May through July.

If you would like further information about UK butterflies and moths please visit the Butterfly Conservation website here

North Plot Wildlife Haven - Daisy

Some Of Our Allium

Our Bumble Bees

One of our bumble bees taking a mid day snack from our birds foot trefoil.

A Touch Of Colour For Our Raised Planters

Some of the flowers planted by Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens in our north plot raised planters.

Volunteer Opportunities

1. Marsh Street Arches & Garden CIC - Garden Caretaker

Description - Marsh Street Arches & Garden require a caretaker for the local garden. Duties will include securing the garden, general caretaking duties including the opening and closing of the community garden.

Skills/Qualifications:
No specific skills or qualifications required.

For further information about the above post or if you have any requirements could you please contact Lisa Millard on 01229 823144 or Email: lisam@cumbriacvs.org.uk

2. Marsh Street Arches & Garden CIC - Gardener

Description - A volunteer gardener required 2 hours a week, tasks include weeding, grass cutting, mulching, general tidying, litter picking and basic garden maintenance.

Skills/Qualifications:
No formal skills or qualifications required.

For further information about the above post or if you have any requirements could you please contact Lisa Millard on 01229 823144 or Email: lisam@cumbriacvs.org.uk

3. Marsh Street Arches & Gardens CIC/HR/Admin Support

Description - A varied and challenging role which includes assisting with volunteer recruitment, implementation of Marsh Street Arches & Gardens CIC's Policies and procedures and assisting the existing admin persons where necessary.

Skills/Qualifications:
A previous background in Human Resources, would suit an individual who has retired or is unable to work and wants to make use of their time and knowledge.

For further information about the above post or if you have any requirements could you please contact Lisa Millard on 01229 823144 or Email: lisam@cumbriacvs.org.uk

Our Natural Pest Control

We offer free room and board - as much as you can eat. All we ask in return is a little help with pest control.

Childrens Society Interactive Garden

To celebrate their fourth year at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Childrens Society - who run a network of community projects that provides support to children who can, with help, guidance and a little inspiration, go on to fulfil their potential - have created a digital garden that you can watch bloom between 18-26 May.

If you would like to see their garden grow please visit: http://www.chelsea2010.org.uk/

North Plot Banking - A Wildlife Haven

The north plot banking, created last year,  has become a wildlife haven attracting various species of bugs, bees and butterlies. We are planning to scatter additional, native wildflowers seeds on the banking this year with the help of Central and Hindpool Junor Wardens. This work will form part of their John Muir Award activites

Seat Design Winner

Pictured below at Furness College are Tutor Mike Walsh, art and design student Andrew Peter Wilkes who produced the final design, our Project Coordinator Graham Bromley and Julia Geere from Childrens Services.

This follows our work in partnership with Mike, the art and design students from Furness College and Julia in which we had provided the students with a brief to develop design options for seating. Ultimately the final winning design is to be manufactured locally and sited on the Green Heart Den. This design worked formed part of the students work on the "Involving schools and colleges in Barrows Regeneration" project.

Funding for the fabrication of the final seating design is to be provided from a grant we received from Our Green Spaces.

Additional pictures of the seat design process can be viewed on our Flickr photo gallery here.

One of our Common Blue Butterflies

The Common Blue is small, widespread butterfly. The male has blue wings with black-brown border and thin white fringe. The female is brown, similar to Brown Argus, but with blue dusting near body. Unlike Adonis and Chalkhill Blues, the dark veins do not extend into white fringes of wing margins.

Foodplants:

Common Bird's-foot-trefoil  is the main foodplant. Other plants used include: Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil , Black Medick , Common Restharrow, White Clover, and Lesser Trefoil.

Habitat:

It occurs in a range of grassy places where its foodplants grow in sunny, sheltered situations on downland, coastal dunes and undercliffs, road verges, acid grassland, and woodland clearings. It is also found in waste ground, disused pits and quarries, golf courses, and urban habitats such as cemeteries.

If you would like more information about UK butterflies, please visit the Butterfly Conservation website here.

Junior Wardens grow their own......

Central and Hindpool Junior wardens planting their own tomatoes in our large planing boxes.

Our Bat Boxes.....

Some of our hand made bat boxes, constructed from recycled, rough sawn, untreated timer. Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens will be making additinal boxes for us over the next few weeks.

Junior Wardens John Muir Activity

Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens begin their efforts to achieve a second John Muir Award. Among the tasks included; litter picking, composting, preparing to make bat boxes, deadheading and tying back our daffodils and planting tomatoes in the raised planters

For more pictures from the event please visit our Flick photo gallery here.

Bat Boxes......

The Green Heart Den is planning to make several bat boxes with assistance from Central and Hindpool Junior Wardens. This work will form part of their efforts to achieve a second John Muir Award.

The UK's bat populations have suffered severe declines, largely due to loss of habitat. Human activities have increasingly and continue to change the environment we live in resulting in substantial declines in biodiversity.

However, bats are fascinating animals and make a substantial contribution to the UK's biodiversity, comprising around one third of all our mammal species. They are a vital part of our native wildlife and are indicators of a green and healthy environment, so their future is directly linked to our quality of life and the quality of our environment.

We are hoping to help a little by providing bat boxes and appropriate plants that may help to enourage other bats.

 

If you would like more information about helping bats please visit the Bat Conservation Trust here.

If you can’t measure it.......

If you can’t measure it.............you can’t manage it !

If you don’t measure it........….don’t do it !

Think Big Fund From 02

Think Big encourages young people, aged 13 to 25, tackle the issues that most affect them, their friends, their neighbours or their community. So if you are between these ages or know someone who is – if you want to make a change for the better – take a look at www.o2.co.uk/thinkbig
They can offer funding and training and a whole load of support – to get projects going and make things happen.
The application is easy, and it won’t take very long. If your project is shortlisted they’ll call you up to have a chat, and let you know within 6 weeks of applying whether or not your application has been successful.

If you have any questions please give them a call on their free phone helpline: 0800 902 0250.

Arbour Update

Gilmour Fabrications Ltd taking detailed measurements for the final fabrication stage of the arbour.

It is hoped that, if all goes well, the arbour could be installed within the next 2 -4 weeks.

Funding for the fabrication of the arbour has been provided from Our Green Space.

Cumbria Waste Management Environmental Trust have provided funding for the associated works.

Some Of Our Birdsfoot Trefoil

Birdsfoot Trefoil is a long lived perennial producing clusters of yellow and red flowers on 10 to 30 cm stems especially in June and July, but some flowering continues until September. The plant is very common throughout the British Isles and is found mainly in grassy and waste places, often in limestone pastures but also on some heaths and scrublands. It prefers dry and infertile sites. In the garden it can be used both in a frequently cut flowering lawn and as an easily maintained herbaceous border plant which is cut back once a year.

This trefoil is widespread and common in a wide range of natural habitats, and is readily available from specialist nurseries. It does particularly well in rockeries and is an important  food plant for butterflies such as the Common Blue and a valuable source of nectar and pollen for bees.

One Of Our Hostas

Our Crab Apple Looking Healthy

Plants Fourishing Around The Water Feature

Our John Downie

Considered by many to be the best fruiting crab, John Downie is a small deciduous native tree that produces clusters of white/pink flowers in April and May - it is an excellent pollinator for most cooking and eating apples, followed by edible bright red - sometimes with just a touch of orange crab apples suitable for jam/jelly making. For a crab, John Downie apples are rather large - everything is relative and somewhat elongated. The foliage turns shades of red and gold in autumn.

John Downie is upright when young, widening at the base as it ages. Although it grows quite quickly, Malus John Downie never becomes a large tree and its flowers, fruit, autumn foliage and reasonable size combine to make it an excellent specimen or ornamental tree for the smaller garden.

You can view more pictures from the Green Heart Den on our Flickr photo gallery here.

Our Egremont Russet

Our Egremont Russet flourishing in the light drizzle.

The Egremont Russet is an attractive, upright tree is covered in pure white, cup-shaped flowers in mid and late spring, followed by firm dessert apples, with a crisp, nutty flavour. It is a moderately vigorous variety, producing fruits for harvesting in late September.

It is classic English russet apple from the Victorian era. Whilst russet apples have generally fallen out of favour, Egremont Russet remains popular with discerning apple lovers who appreciate its unique flavour and apearance.

Egremont Russet is a medium-sized apple. The flesh seems quite dry and gets drier with keeping - it is moist rather than juicy. Traditionally described as "nutty", the flavour is more delicate than most varieties, and quite sweet. Both the flavour and the soft flesh are reminiscent of a firm pear. Yet Egremont Russet is surprisingly versatile, working well in savoury salads for example, and a popular partner for cheese.

Seat Design Final Review

Pictured left to right are; Tony, Mike Walsh - from Furness College, and Management Committee members Alan Postlethwaite and Val Holden at the final review of the seat design options in Central and Hindpool Managements meeting room.

This follows our work in partnership with Mike Walsh and the art and design students from Furness College in which we had provided the students with a brief to develop design options for seating. Ultimately the final winning design will be manufactured locally and sited on the Green Heart Den. This worked formed part of the students work on the "Involving schools and colleges in Barrows Regeneration" project.
Funding for the seating is provided from a grant we received from Our Green Spaces.

Additional pictures of the seat design process can be viewed on our Flickr photo gallery here.

Green Heart Den Receives A Much Deserved Watering

Our Wild Cherry Is Beginning To Blossom

Prunus avium, better known as wild cherry, is perhaps one of our most attractive native woodland trees. Wild cherry is often found in old hedgerows and in mixed deciduous woodland, usually at the wood’s edge. According to the Woodland Trust, this species makes a wonderful addition to any wildlife garden.