| 
PLiP
Project
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside
Howick
House (Galloways),
Howick Park Avenue,
Penwortham,
Preston,
PR1 0LS tel:
01772 752445
email:
plip@
lancswt.org.uk |
| Funding
for the projects has been provided by: European
Regional Development Fund
English
Nature
 Big
Lottery
 Lancashire
Environmental Fund
 Lancashire
County Council 
Preston
City Council
 |
|
Other
Community Projects
|
|
| productive
landscapes in preston project (PLiP) |
Wild about Avenham Festival
Old Cemetery work party
| |
The
Wildlife Trust has been working in partnership with Preston City Council since
January 2003 to develop the PLiP Project. It aims to:
 | raise
awareness of local wildlife issues | | protect
and enhance the local environment through community involvement |
| organise
activities that involve local people and help them enjoy their local greenspaces |
| develop
the skills of local people so they can sustain their activities in these areas
and prevent them from declining | | undertake
an audit of the greenspaces in the deprived wards of Preston |
| designate
Local Nature Reserves (LNR's) and encourage local people to use them for education
and recreation | There
are two threads to PliP; the Local Nature Reserve Project and the Productive Landscapes
Project. | | Preston
Local Nature Reserve (LNR) Project
To
date, there have been two LNR sites declared in Preston: Pope Lane Field and Boilton
Wood LNR and Grange Valley LNR, both on the east side of the city. The next to
be designated will be Haslam Park to the west and this will be followed by Fishwick
Bottoms to the south.
| 
Volunteer
day Boilton Wood
Reed
planting
Volunteer
day at Haslam Park
Volunteer Day at Fishwick Bottoms
Avenham
Park
Daffodils
at Preston Old Cemetery
Magic
Garden Open Day
Millenium
House Garden
| | Pope
Lane Field and Boilton Wood LNR consists of semi-improved grassland and woodland.
The grassland used to be a playing field but is now managed as a wildflower meadow
to provide food and shelter for wildlife such as birds and insects. The woods
are part of the Red Scar and Tun Brook Site of Special Scientific Interest and
contain a wide variety of plants and animals, most notably the bluebells in spring,
roe deer, badgers, bats and tawny owls. Great Crested Newts have been recorded
in the ponds adjacent to the LNR and works have been carried out to improve the
habitat on the Reserve for the newts. A dedicated band of volunteers and members
of the local community, have helped manage and improve the site by planting trees,
improving the footpaths and carrying out woodland management. A local youth group
and schools have recently taken part in an art competition to draw some of the
creatures found on the reserve and the winning pictures will be used in a leaflet
about the site. A Public Consultation has recently been conducted regarding design
improvements to the reserve entrance and it is hoped that funding will be obtained
to carry out the works in the near future. | |
Grange
Valley LNR is dissected by Eaves Brook and consists mainly of unimproved grassland
and small patches of woodland. Action Ribble Estuary and the Environment Agency
have helped the Wildlife Trust and Preston City Council improve the brook and
plant a reedbed to help clean the water flowing downstream. Motorcycle barriers
have been installed at the entrance points to discourage motorbikes and make the
site safer for the local community to enjoy and use the area. Volunteers, local
schools and community groups have helped plant trees, litter pick, plant reeds
and enjoy the events regularly held on the Reserve and at Grange Park Interpretation
Centre to raise awareness of the wildlife found here. Herons have been spotted
hunting for food at the waters edge, birds of prey patrol the grassland area and
blackbird, robin, dunnock and whitethroat all make their homes on the Reserve.
| | Haslam
Park was developed by the Victorians as a formal park incorporating a lake,
amenity grassland and woodland. The land adjacent was formerly farmland and is
dissected by two brooks, Savick and Sharoe. It is this former farmland and parts
of the formal park that are proposed be adopted as an LNR, also supported by the
Parks Friends Group. | | Fishwick
Bottoms has been recognised as locally significant for wildlife in the 1992
Preston Wildlife Survey and consultation with the local community is currently
underway regarding its future management when the site is designated as an LNR.
| | Preston
Productive Landscapes Project This
branch of the project aims to connect communities with their local greenspaces
through a series of initiatives that turn derelict, neglected and underused land
into "productive landscapes" and make these sites better places for people and
wildlife. The
sites range from community gardens, redundant land near housing, woodland, parks
and a cemetery. Activities carried out to raise people's awareness of conservation
issues, enjoyment, participation and ownership of sites have been diverse. They
include public consultations, events, clean-ups, footpath creation, installation
of seating, flower and vegetable gardening, wildflower meadow creation, art projects
and woodland management. To date there have been numerous examples of sites improved
in Preston, a selection of which are described below. |
| Frenchwood
Knoll Wildlife Garden had fallen into disrepair and the Wildlife Trust, Preston
City Council Park's department and Friends of Avenham Park set about its improvement.
A butterfly meadow was created and a Festival involving local schools carried
out to celebrate its flowering with a parade of masks, banners and flags to the
sound of Samba music around the meadow. The pond containing newts was struck by
a pollution incident and was re-excavated and lined in the hope that wildlife
will return. Local people were involved in designing new sculptures, notices and
an entrance arch to replace the old and tired original ones. The Friends group
will continue to work with the Parks department to maintain and manage the site,
keeping it attractive and inviting to local people and visitors. |
| Preston
Old Cemetery was opened by the Victorians in 1855 and more recently an area
has been set aside as a Woodland Burial Site. The grounds of the cemetery are
important as a wildlife haven as the trees mature around the perimeter of the
site and birds, insects, small mammals and flowers make their homes amongst the
vegetation. This site is designated as a Biological Heritage Site because of its
wildlife interest. The Wildlife Trust has been working in partnership with the
Cemetery Manager to encourage awareness of its wildlife and heritage value. This
has been achieved by a series of guided walks, volunteer work parties, development
of a Friends Group and production of a heritage and wildlife trail leaflet. Improvements
have encouraged people to use the site and feel safe as neglected areas have been
made more attractive. Biodiversity has been increased through sowing wildflower
seed, planting hedges and a rose garden. New bird boxes provide shelter and food
to attract wildlife. | | The
Magic Garden developed when Surestart contacted the project asking for advice
to create a garden in the grounds of the local Methodist Church in Brookfield
so that the nursery children using the church hall could enjoy and learn about
plants and animals. The Community Impact Group which has a dedicated workforce
from a range of local businesses, carried out the practical work. A wildflower
meadow, flower beds, footpath, butterfly garden and raised bed were created. The
children and staff from the nursery helped to plant flowers, bulbs and trees.
| | Millenium
House Garden was a garden project of the Longridge Road Tenants Association
Community House. The garden needed revitalising and, after consulting with the
local community and holding a series of workshops, it was redesigned. A new lawn
was laid with paving installed and overgrown trees pruned back. Local people helped
plant up the garden with native flowers to attract insects, such as butterflies,
and a series of training sessions was held to encourage local people and give
them confidence to maintain the garden in the future. | |
Thanks
to all the community groups, schools and volunteers who have helped on the project
since it started in 2003. You have helped to make a difference and improve your
environment in Preston. | |
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