Planning underway to restore Skiddaw Forest in Cumbria
It's hoped a new rainforest can be created
We're being told planning's underway to restore Skiddaw Forest in Cumbria - after a £1.25 million fundraising target was reached
The Cumbria Wildlife Trust launched their major public appeal in early September.
They can now complete the purchase of what will be England’s highest nature reserve, including the summit of Skiddaw.
£5 million had previously been securing thanks to a long-term partnership between The Wildlife Trusts and Aviva, and additional support from charitable funders.
Now that the public has donated the shortfall, they can start planning the restoration of the site.
This will include bringing back 620 acres of lost Atlantic Rainforest to the lower slopes of Skiddaw Forest.
In addition, over 2,200 acres of other habitat will be restored including montane scrub, wildflower grassland, heather moorland and 992 acres of peatbogs.
Stephen Trotter, CEO of Cumbria Wildlife Trust, says:
“We’re absolutely delighted that we’ve met our target, and so quickly, thanks to the incredible generosity of thousands of people who have donated to the Skiddaw Forest appeal in the last six weeks or so. We’ve been bowled over by the public’s generosity, and by how many people want to be part of Skiddaw Forest’s future.
“The development of Skiddaw Forest gives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put nature firmly into recovery on a vast scale.
"This is a long-term project which will develop over a century or so, and we’re looking forward to working with local communities, farmers, volunteers and others to make this vision a reality.”
The first work to get underway will be carrying out detailed, in-depth surveys of the site, before any restoration work can take place, along with checking and making good 14 kilometres of fencing and boundaries around the site.
Work to train seed-collecting volunteers is already well underway, so that the volunteers will be ready to starting collect native seeds from local fells this autumn and spring.
The seeds will be taken to new tree-growing hubs in Plumgarths near Kendal, Cold Springs Community Nature Reserve in Penrith, and a site near Keswick where the saplings will be grown on, before eventually forming part of the new temperate rainforest at Skiddaw.