The month began with a major transformation at St Andrew's Pre-School in Ashton-on-Ribble, where an unused hard-standing car park has been converted into a safe and engaging outdoor play space. The new area now features a lawn, sensory path, mud kitchen, digging zone, tree seating area and secure fencing, creating a welcoming environment for children to learn and play outdoors.

While a laurel hedge was chosen to provide immediate screening from the surrounding road and footpath, biodiversity will take centre stage in the next phase of the project. Plans include a raised dipping pond, wildlife-friendly planting and a living willow den to encourage nature-based play and learning.

The team has also delivered improvements at Scutchers Acres, where a new stone parking area has enhanced accessibility for visitors. Meanwhile, working alongside Sue Jeffries and volunteers from the Greenhouse Project, the team has relocated raised beds and constructed a new bog garden on the platform at Blackburn Railway Station, creating an attractive space that will soon be brought to life with planting.

At Sherwood Primary School in Preston, overgrown vegetation has been cleared to reveal apple trees that had become hidden by spreading dogwood, helping to restore the school's orchard. The team has also carried out essential repairs to an outdoor seating circle in Cottam, ensuring it remains a valuable space for learning and community activities.

The coming weeks will see the team supporting regeneration works in Runcorn, with the installation of fencing, a boardwalk and an in-feed pond. Large dipping ponds will also be created at The Hive (Bolton) to support environmental education sessions. 

The month will conclude with the installation of sensory and pollinator-friendly raised beds at Christchurch Primary School in Chadderton as part of the National Education Nature Park programme, helping to connect more young people with nature.

Whether transforming school grounds, enhancing community spaces or creating new habitats, the Nature Works Team continues to demonstrate how practical conservation can deliver benefits for both people and wildlife. Every project helps create greener, healthier places where nature and communities can thrive together.