Cycled out to Bathampton Meadows this morning along the Kennet and Avon towpath.
I had been invited to a ‘celebratory thank-you event’ – a small gathering for stakeholders and volunteers who have supported the National Trust project to improve both biodiversity and access for visitors on the land they acquired back in 2022.
Two exciting milestones have been reached in the meadows. The completion of the Forest of Avon funded tree planting and the creation of a new permissive path along the top perimeter of the eastern fields.
Forty-two planting events – in all winds and weathers – were coordinated and delivered to plant the 10,000 trees, with a total of 592 participants.
31% were from youth groups, school and university students, 35% were local community groups and individuals, 23% were National Trust staff and volunteers (Bathampton Meadows, Bath Skyline, Prior Park, Lacock, Ebworth and Avebury), and the remaining 11% were businesses on volunteering days.
As everyone set off to inspect the work that has been done l did a quick interview with the National Trust’s Urban Places Project Manager, Joanna Rolfe.
She was safely ‘miked’, whereas mine had dropped off in long grass!
We just about managed. Lol.
