The 2013 Himalayan Balsam “Big Pull” has been hailed a resounding success, as throughout the summer community groups and individual volunteers of all ages have helped to tackle the invasive species at various spots in the Churnet Valley area.
Would you like to get a little closer to nature? Would you like to plant a fruit tree? Can you volunteer your time on a Saturday?
Young people living in and around the Churnet Valley are being offered the chance to take part in a range of activities that help to conserve and improve the wildlife and landscape of the area.
The Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership exhibited at the annual Leek & District Show on Saturday 27th July. The sunshine helped make the day a great success with reportedly over 11,000 visitors attending.
The CVLLP marquee proved to be one of the most popular with the children as several of the partner organisations had organised a variety of practical things to do including making woody spinners and sculpting clay animals. The RSPB helped children to make butterfly feeders and the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust invited visitors to have a go at the traditional wooden shaving horse.
The Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership is interested in learning where the fruit trees on old routeways still are and we are asking the community to tell us about them. This summer and autumn there are three ways in which people can help:
Works to make a popular stretch of Caldon Canal towpath more accessible and user-friendly for the local community are complete and were officially opened by Charlotte Atkins, chair of the Canal & River Trust’s Central Shires waterway partnership, on 27 June. The Caldon Canal towpath through Cheddleton has been rebuilt to give walkers, cyclists and disabled visitors a clean, green traffic-free route, between two of the area’s most important and popular historic attractions.
Volunteer work parties are undertaking practical work projects at lots of locations in the Churnet Valley. Try your hand at pathwork, hedgelaying, fencing, step and bridge building. No experience required just a willingness to get stuck in.
Many hands are required to help with “The Big Pull”, to tackle the spread of the invasive Himalayan Balsam plant which is crowding out our native species, taking over whole areas of the Churnet Valley and exposing our stream and river banks to erosion. Himalayan Balsam (botanical name impatiens glandulifera) was introduced to Britain in the mid 19th Century by Victorian gardeners and can grow to a height of over three metres. With up to 800 seeds per plant, which are released explosively from the seed pods and can travel for up to seven metres from the plant, this aggressive plant is considered a real threat to our local environment.
Not for profit organisations who are working on projects that enhance or interpret the heritage and countryside of the Churnet Valley Living Landscape area are being encouraged to apply for a grant of up to £3,000 from the new Churnet Valley Community Scheme, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fun
One of the windiest days of the year saw brave residents and visitors venture out to enjoy the first of the Churnet Valley Living Landscape events held in the beautiful surroundings of Consall Nature Reserve.
