A glorious day of autumn sunshine accompanied the 111 volunteers, task leaders and Friends of the Lake District staff who took part in the Friends’ Buttermere Fell Care Day on Friday 8th Nov.
Volunteers took part in a wide range of conservation tasks which yielded impressive results for the area:
- 4m of dry stone wall rebuilt at Lanthwaite
- 6 bags of rubbish, nearly 300 dog poo bags (!), 2 nappies and a car exhaust collected from around Buttermere
- 75m of rotten rail and post path fencing replaced at the head of Buttermere
- 200m of sheep proof fencing erected at the head of Buttermere
- 10 mature trees in cages planted at High Rannerdale
- 200 bluebell bulbs replanted at High Rannerdale
- 40m of path pitched and resurfaced at the head of Buttermere
- 250 trees planted at Gatescarth
- 5 atlatl spears made during wilderness skills at Long How Wood
- 23.6 km of path maintained at Scarth Gap, Scale Force and Whiteless Pike.
- 666 hours of work completed = 95 days!
- Over 250 pieces of cake eaten!
Ruth Kirk, Landscape Engagement Officer with Friends of the Lake District said, “The enthusiasm and hard work volunteers put into helping to care for our fragile uplands is always inspiring to see. Fell Care Days bring together people of all abilities and ages who share a love for the Lake District and a desire to protect its spectacular landscapes.
“Buttermere was our 20th Fell Care Day since 2011, taking place in our 85th anniversary year. Partnership working is key to the success of these days and we are very grateful for the support of the National Trust and West Cumbria Rivers Trust at Buttermere.”
Fell Care Days will return in 2020. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should contact [email protected]
Friends of the Lake District run smaller scale volunteer conservation days each week all year round. See https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/volunteering for more information.
