Making Space for Nature

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• Lanchard Oak and Beech Given Veteran Tree Status

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  During our recent volunteer day in Lanchard Woods we assessed several old and impressive trees on the site to see if they qualified for veteran tree status which is awarded by the Woodland Trust. Awarding veteran tree status is an important step towards protecting these impressive trees and can be used in support of other legislation such as a tree protection order.

  

  The first tree assessed was a large Beech close to the West entrance to Lanchard woods. While it may look like several trees it is actually one tree that has split and grown like this. After measuring the Beech using a very long piece of rope and a tape measure it was determined that this tree was old enough to qualify as a veteran tree.

  

  The next tree we assessed was an old gnarled oak tree down by the stream that runs through the bottom of Lanchard woods. This tree is covered in patches of moss, ivy and has many ferns growing along its branches as well as areas of dead wood in its crown. This is a fantastic tree and really shows the importance of veteran and ancient trees because of the habitats and biodiversity they provide just among their branches. After measuring this tree it was determined that it is probably somewhere between 300 and 400 years old!

  There were plenty of other notable trees in Lanchard Woods that given a few more decades will most likely become veteran trees themselves. This site really has the potential to become a great patch of biodiverse native woodland and is a great place for quiet stroll if you are in the area.

  More information about veteran and ancient trees and their importance can be found on the Woodland Trust's website.

• Busy Volunteer Day in Lanchard Woods

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  On August 8th the MS4N team joined Jenny Heskett of the Countryside Team to hold a volunteer work day in Lanchard Woods, Liskeard. It was a hot sunny day but luckily we were working in the shade of this peaceful patch of woodland on the edge of Liskeard.

  

  One of the aims for the day was to use scythes to clear large sections of the open glade area which had become full of nettles and bracken. By opening up these areas we were creating new habitats for a greater range of woodland plant species to establish themselves and improve the biodiversity of the site. It also created open spaces and new paths for people to use and explore in the woods.

  

  Our other aim for the day was to improve access to the site and to do this we built a new set of steps leading down from the gate to the footpath. While taking a tea break on the site a member of the public taking their dog for a walk said the steps were a great addition and were much easier than having to carefully step down the bank. Later in the year we are planning to improve the path that runs through the site to further improve access in this lovely patch of woodland. Stay tuned for updates on this page if you would like to join us for this.

  

  
  

• Butterflies and Bikes at Ridgegrove Park Celebration of Nature

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  On Saturday July 23^rd The Making Space for Nature team hosted a celebration of nature and completion of the new footbridge at Ridgegrove Park in Launceston. We were joined at the event by many members of the community which included, Launceston Wildlife group, Sustrans, Laura Francis Martin a local artist, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, University of Exeter, and Launceston Town Council.

  

  It was a slightly gray and windy day but luckily the weather held and lots of people joined us in the park. There were lots of craft activities at our gazebo which were enjoyed by the children coming out for the day. There was also plenty of informative displays at stalls through the park and we had many great conversations with lots of people as they stopped to talk about the park, wildlife, and the local area.

  

  We even had food at this event and a wonderful completely vegan buffet was provided by JP's Fresh Hot Food. The food was enjoyed by all especially the great range of vegan pizza slices that were cooked up. But by far the biggest draw to the event was the bike procession. Kids could bring their bikes to the park and give them a tune up at the Sustrans stall before then covering them in decorations including bamboo butterflies and ribbons under the guidance of Laura Martin.

  

  

  Overall it was another great and successful event with the MS4N team and members of the local community. We were lucky that the weather held for us and everyone who came to the park had a wonderful time.

• New Dates for Volunteering in Liskeard Added

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  Two new volunteer sessions for Liskeard have been added to the key dates list.

  First is a session on August 8th in Lanchard Woods where we will be glade clearing, path improving and litter picking. The session will run from 10-3:30.

  The second session is a volunteer gardening session in Castle Park on August 17th from 10-1.

  More information can be found under the events in the key dates list on the right.

• A Celebration of Nature at Tredanek Meadow

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  On a sunny July afternoon the MS4N team joined by the University of Exeter and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust hosted a celebration of nature at Tredanek Meadow in Bodmin.

  

  It was a beautiful afternoon and the flower beds in the park were in full bloom and looked fantastic. The hot weather and sunshine attracted many people to the park making it a great opportunity for us to talk to and engage with the local community.

  

  We held our event to coincide with the end of the school day of Berrycoombe Primary which is located right next to the park. When the kids came out of the gate they all rushed over to our stands with their parents to see what activities they could get involved with.

  

  The treasure hunt was a great success and the kids and their families had a great time running around the park solving the clues to find the hidden letters that when rearranged spelled out the word pollinator. The animal skull game at the UoE stand was also a great a hit and the kids found it fascinating to learn about the different animal skulls. And even with the heat there were still a few bumblebees visiting the flowers that captivated everyone as they were led on a bee walk.

  Overall it was a great afternoon and we had lots of positive comments from the residents around the park. They all really appreciated the work that had been put in to transform this site and they especially loved the colour that all the new planting had brought to the park.

  We have many more events planed for the next few months so keep an eye on our events list to stay up to date!

  
  

• Sunny Nature Evening With 1st St Austell Brownies

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  Last month Melissa led an exciting evening of nature based activities at The Meadows with the 1st St Austell Brownies.

  

  The Brownies were really keen to check out their bee hotel, bee box and bird box that they decorated and installed late last year.

  

  After inspecting their handiwork the Brownies had a great time with a nature themed scavenger hunt and searched all over the site for the clues

  It was a fantastic evening that was enjoyed by every and Jemma the Brownie leader had this to say,

  'Our Brownies had a brilliant time with Melissa, doing their scavenger hunt. The girls were running around happily, with lots of excited shouts whenever a clue was discovered! The structure and content of the activity made it easy to build in little conversations about the habitats, helping us to bring the focus back to nature. It’s definitely something I will use to inspire other activities when we’re out and about. Melissa was so well prepared, with all the equipment, extras, books… and for us leaders it’s so great when you feel like the external person really has everything under control. Much appreciated! I really would recommend activities like this to anyone I know who works with children and young people, with an interest in nature. Brilliantly organised, well-equipped, reliable and reassuring, and really engaging!... The unexpected treat of the party bags to take away at the end was really the cherry on a lovely evening and made everyone smile. Walking back to the parents, I could overhear plenty of conversations about what seeds they had, where they were going to grow them…Thank you ever so much!’

• MS4N is Highly Commended at CIEEM Awards

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  Recently MS4N had been nominated for the award of Best Practice – Large Scale Nature Conservation at the 2022 Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) awards.

  On Wednesday June 22^nd MS4N was represented by our own Dr. Rosalind Shaw at the ceremony in London. While we unfortunately didn’t win our category, we were awarded a highly commended award for recognition of all our great work and the progress and achievements made by the MS4N project.

  It is amazing to be recognised like this by such a big and influential organisation such as CIEEM and we will continue to put all our effort into MS4N to make it the best it possibly can be.

  

• DATE CHANGE Permarin Park Event

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  The opening event and celebration of nature at Permarin Park, Penryn has now been moved from July 10th to August 16th. It will still be held from 10am - 2pm, we look forward to having you join us.

• Royal Party in Park With MS4N

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  On the sunny jubilee bank holiday weekend Penryn Town Council hosted a royal party in the park in Trelawney Park to celebrate. The Making Space for Nature team joined the celebrations and the new habitats, and improved park provided a brilliant setting for live music, food, stalls and Punch & Judy Shows.

  

  The Making Space for Nature stall was busy all afternoon from 12.30 to 5pm. We met hundreds of local residents and offered free drop-in activities - all with a nature theme. The activities included a treasure hunt, plant pot decorating and planting seeds to take home and grow.

  

  We had a great time speaking to all the people that came to the party in the park. And especially enjoyed sharing with them the knowledge and experiences we have developed through the MS4N project so that they could implement it at home in their own lives and gardens. We were also incredibly grateful for the amazing feedback we had from people about the work we have carried out to improve this green space; ‘The Park in Penryn looks beautiful – a gorgeous place to spend time.’ ‘It’s nice to see so many people using the park.’ ‘I love it here – the park has so much more character now.’

  

  Overall it was a fantastic and successful day and we are glad everyone had such a great time.

  There are many more upcoming events this summer and all the details can be found on the right hand side of the page in our Key Dates section.

• Summer dates for gardening sessions and events added.

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  Our Urban Ranger is out and about again across Cornwall this summer, and the MS4N team has several events across our sites as well. New dates have been set for drop in gardening sessions in Bodmin, Newquay, Penryn and St. Austell as well as dates for the MS4N Celebrations of Nature.

  All the dates are on the bar on the right hand side of the page and include all our gardening sessions in June, July, and August.

  There's no need to book, just turn up or contact Becky 07796996351 to let her know if you're interested or want more information.

  We look forward to seeing you at one of our sessions.