A Planting for Pollinators project has seen remarkable success with thousands of wildflower plugs planted at four sites across Eden thanks to the dedication of 80 local community groups, volunteers and key partners.
Funded by the Westmorland and Furness Council’s Eden Locality Board, and working closely with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the Planting for Pollinators initiative aims to create vital wildflower-rich habitats for pollinators while enhancing the area's natural beauty. The Board allocated an initial £20,000 in funding towards the project last year, and at a recent meeting (5 March), a further £11,900 was allocated to help grow the project further.
Over the past year, volunteers and community groups have come together in their numbers, bringing with them not only a strong sense of community spirit but a shared passion to tackle biodiversity loss and enhance nature. Their combined efforts have resulted in the planting of 11kg of Cumbrian wildflower seed and 8,000 Cumbrian wildflower plugs, increasing the area of flower-rich habitat to support local pollinator populations and in turn increasing habitat connectivity for insects to move across our towns, parishes and countryside.
Four community sites across Eden have benefitted from this funding to plant, including Fairhill Recreation Ground (Alston), Carleton Park (Penrith), Otteriggs Field (Salkeld Dykes) and Edensyde (Kirkby Stephen).
Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s expertise and guidance played a vital role in the success of the recent seed sowing and planting days, helping to create more pollinator-friendly habitats across the Eden locality. The initiative was further strengthened by the commitment of community volunteers including those from local groups such as Friends of Otteriggs, Carleton Park Recreation Group, Muddy Boots Preschool, Alston Recreation Ground Trust, and Kirkby Stephen Youth Centre, whose hard work and commitment ensured the project’s success.
By bringing together conservation specialists and community volunteers, this collaborative effort represents a significant step towards reversing the decline of Cumbria’s pollinators, conserving biodiversity, and promoting long-term environmental sustainability.
Councillor Lorna Baker, Chair of the Eden Locality Board, said:
“The success of this Planting for Pollinators project is very satisfying and ensuring that we have used species local to Cumbria makes it more important and useful. It is heartwarming to see so many people from our community come together with a shared goal of enhancing our local environment. It is particularly pleasing to see children being inspired to improve their area and we are happy that we could enable their enthusiasm.
“Not only will the wildflowers brighten up these green spaces, but they will also provide essential habitats for pollinators, which are crucial for maintaining biodiversity. We cannot wait to see them bloom and bring these areas to life in the months ahead. Our thanks go out to Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the community groups, and the wonderful volunteers who made this possible.
“This Planting for Pollinators project is just one of the many initiatives that the Eden Locality Board is championing to ensure a more sustainable future for the area, and we look forward to supporting more initiatives in the future.”
Charlotte Rankin, Pollinator Conservation Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, added:
“Hearing about the loss of flower-rich habitat and pollinator declines can be very overwhelming, but local actions can really make a big difference to pollinators.
“Through the Eden Planting for Pollinators project, communities have come together to create flower-rich habitat within their local green spaces, set out in search of insects during identification days, and learnt about how we can all give pollinators a helping hand.
“From Alston to Kirkby Stephen, Penrith to Salkeld Dykes, volunteers have joined conservation days across four green spaces, sown seed and planted plug plants, helping to create vital stepping stones of wildflower-rich habitat and a pollinator corridor across Eden.
“A huge thank you to 80 volunteers who have joined us - come rain or shine! - to sow over 11kg of locally sourced wildflower seed and plant 8,000 wildflowers, as well as local contractors who have prepared the ground ready for seeding and planting.
“We are looking forward to these community spaces establishing into flower-rich havens, buzzing with bees and butterflies, and being enjoyed by people who visit, live or work in the area. We hope that volunteers feel inspired to visit the areas they have helped plant to see how their wildflowers are getting on and watch the pollinators enjoying them.
“Thank you to our funders, Westmorland and Furness Council, for making this project possible.”