An ambitious project to create and enhance 170 hectares of wood pasture, 4.6kms of hedgerow and new wildlife habitats in the Ullswater valley has begun.
With a £220,000 grant from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund 2 (GRCF2), secured working closely with the National Trust, the project is being led by Ullswater Catchment Management CIC, a not for profit, community interest group based in Ullswater.
Tree planting commenced on January 5 with the help of volunteers and rangers from the National Trust and saw the first trees in the ground in the Lake District from the GRCF2 grant.
Part of Ullswater Catchment Management CIC’s natural flood management ambitions, over 10,000 trees will be planted by the end of February across 16 different farms.
Wood pasture habitat is a diverse and ancient habitat characterised by a mixture of open-grown trees with grazing grassland and other floras. It is vital not only to the farming community but also to wildlife as it creates shelter and grazing for livestock while also supporting numerous species.
Hedgerow habitat in decline
Hedgerow habitat, having been in decline in the UK for many years, plays a major role in preventing soil loss, reduces pollution and helps to regulate water flows while providing a vital environment and corridor for wildlife.
Danny Teasdale from Ullswater Catchment Management CIC said: “With more and more focus on climate change and government targets on tree planting, we believe that it is vital to not lose sight that this is a working landscape with a long heritage of farming. We fully support farming in our area and believe that by working with farmers and landowners we can achieve real change to restore wildlife habitats, help mitigate future flood impacts and sequester carbon.
“We have always found that the majority of farmers are supportive of tree planting if it is in the right location and can benefit their farming business going forward.”
Laura Ruxton, General Manager for East & Central Lakes, National Trust, said: “Danny and his team have been instrumental in delivering a variety of flood management and habitat creation projects on farms throughout Ullswater and are an important partner for the National Trust.
“Working together we can achieve so much more, to not only help improve flood resilience and habitats, but also benefit the people who live, work and visit the Ullswater valley. This latest project will work with nature, and farming, to help better manage the future impact of climate change.”
This project is funded by the Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies and is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England, the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission.
This is the latest habitat restoration project in Ullswater to be carried out by Ullswater Catchment Management CIC, which has more recently seen hedge planting in Deepdale, Watermillock, Matterdale and Glenridding.
The project follows hard on the heels of the National Trust’s major works to re-meander Goldrill Beck near Hartsop. The £680,000 project involved moving part of the river away from a key road and into a new channel to improve habitats for wildlife and to slow the flow of water downstream. Part of the National Trust’s £14m, UK-wide river and catchment restoration project, Riverlands, works were completed in autumn 2021.
New funding for protection and creation of hedgerows in Cumbria
