Making Space for Nature is coming to Penryn

The Making Space for Nature project aims to improve urban green spaces in Cornish towns, increasing their wildlife value, accessibility and community enjoyment.

Our enhancements in Penryn will begin this autumn and are likely to continue into spring 2022.

In the woodland between Brook Place and Saracen Way, we are planning enhancements that will improve the resilience to climate change and increase social value. Understory planting with will create the next generation of trees. Improving ground cover of native species will help limit growth of invasive species. Around the zig-zag path from Saracen Way, a scheme of sensory perennials and fruit trees takes inspiration from forest garden design.

At Trelawney Park we want to create a vibrant space that serves multiple purposes for the community and nature – increasing people’s desire to spend time there. Introducing blossoming trees and shrubs and a variety of bulbs will bring a longer season of colour – with forage for pollinators to boot. Cornish varieties of apple and plum trees reflect Penryn’s heritage as a town of orchards, whilst habitat enhancement will respect the riverside location with planting and retention of dead vegetation to provide space for amphibians, insects and birds.

Special attention will be given to the heritage aspects of Glasney College, an important Scheduled Monument, including raised beds to evoke a sense of the former church tower, pollinator friendly herbaceous borders and new seating facilities to allow people to stop and take in the history. Our plans have been designed not to distract from the existing granite insets outlining the walls of the former church, and a significant area of the site will remain in mown grass so that these remain visible as well as providing open space for community events.

Throughout all of these schemes there will be opportunities for volunteer activity, which we hope will be the start of long-term involvement of the community in future care for these sites. We are particularly keen to establish a ‘green gardening group’ at Glasney College from this autumn/winter onwards, so please do contact us if you would like to be participate.

Making Space for Nature will be at Penryn Town Fair on 28th August, where you can find out more about any of the schemes and pick-up tips on wildlife friendly gardening.

For more details please visit https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/making-space-for-nature

or contact charlotte.evans@cornwall.gov.uk

Green Infrastructure for Growth 2 is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund