[A] range of inspiring events were recently held across the Lake District and Cumbria encouraging people to think about how our stunning Cumbrian landscapes can be experienced through taste, emotion, touch, sound and sight.
Cumbrian conservation charity, Friends of the Lake District invited visitors and locals alike to take the opportunity to experience the countryside with all of their senses during their Great Landscapes Week event.
132 participants helped to celebrate the landscape through a diverse schedule of events across the county in Grasmere, Kendal, High Nibthwaite and Mazonwath. Many travelled to the Helm near Kendal to meet the stoic Fell Ponies, others tried their hand at drystone walling while some took a more leisurely approach with some mindful breathing in the forest or basket weaving in the beautiful setting of Grasmere.
Not everyone was taking it easy, with many volunteering to take part in a Fell Care Day in Grasmere, kicking off the week of events with some excellent results achieved from all of their hard work.
- 120 m2 woodland work completed
- 2m dry stone wall rebuilt
- 14km upland path maintained & repaired
- 166 hours = 24 days of work completed
- 70 pieces of cake eaten
Douglas Chalmers, Chief Executive, Friends of the Lake District said: “Friends of the Lake District’s reason for being is to champion the landscapes of the Lake District and Cumbria, to protect and enhance them, to celebrate and enjoy them, and the engage and inspire people to appreciate and help look after them. We have been doing this for over 80 years.
“It’s easy to see the landscape in the background, forget in how many ways it supports us and to assume that it’s always been there and always will. Great Landscapes Week was the perfect way to launch our ‘Why Landscape Matters campaign. After a successful week of events we’ll continue to encourage people to join with us and remember why our landscapes matter to us, celebrate and enjoy them, and support our work to keep them special.”
As part of its campaign, the charity has also published a charter ‘Why Landscape Matters; a Landscape Charter for Cumbria and the Lake District’, setting out the commitment of Friends of the Lake District to the landscapes of Cumbria.
You can join the Why Landscape Matters campaign and read the charter via the charity’s website at: www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk. You can also view all of the images submitted to the Great Landscapes Week photography competition, make a pledge and answer questions on what the landscape does for your senses.
