A WILDLIFE trust has joined forces with volunteers to improve a popular nature area in Teesdale.
The 6.5 acre Winston Millennium Green, next to St Andrew’s Church, is a haven for flora and fauna and is cared for by members of the Winston Millennium Green Trust.
Durham Wildlife Trust has agreed to help the group put on events aimed at children and families, such as tree and plant identification, bug events and wild meadow seeding. The wildlife trust also hopes to run activities for adult volunteers including path and fence maintenance and pond management.
Graham Young, chairman of Winston Millennium Green Trust, said: “Out hope is to get more people engaged with the green and to develop its management for bio-diversity. We want to see people more connected to nature and understanding the issues to do with such things as climate change.”
Durham Wildlife Trust will develop a management plan alongside the volunteers.
Jodie Morgan, natural communities officer for Durham Wildlife Trust, said: “My role is entirely focused on helping to bring people together within their local communities to ensure a future for their local natural green spaces.
“Winston Millennium Green is a magnificent green space, originally funded by Natural England, and holds an amazing abundance of species and natural features such as ancient woodland, wetland, grassland and wildflower meadows. It also provides an open space for the general public as well as enhancing the local environment.”
She added: “It’s great to see the love and support the Millennium Green receives. Over the next year and into the future we will be working together to restore some of the old features and also add some new; increasing biodiversity and bringing0 more people to simply enjoy their local green space. If you would like to get involved, whether that’s helping us survey the fauna and flora or providing some practical skills in caring for the Millennium Green, please come along to one of our events.”
Details of these events have yet to be announced. In September, a “bio-blitz” day was held when locals came together to list species found on the green. A similar exercise carried years ago listed 74 species in that area but the most recent event discovered even more, said Mr Young.
