Nature improvements to Winton Recreation Ground are ongoing

Winton Recreation Ground has been given a nature make-over as part of ‘The Parks Foundation’ Future Parks project. Three green spaces or ‘Pilot Parks’ have been selected in the BCP area, including Alexandra Park, Waterman’s Park and Winton Recreation ground.

The project is to encourage more community events and volunteers to participate in the park to help increase the wildlife and nature reserves on the ground.

Josh Clarke, Park Activator on the Pilot Parks Project, says that they have really tried to bring the area to life and bring the community together.

“All the improvements we have made, we have come up with landscape architects, but what we really want to do is involve the community with this project.

Josh added that with every single change made in the park, they have tried to bring the community on board as much as they can.

“The whole idea of what we are doing is to encourage nature into the parks through a whole host of re-wilding techniques, improve biodiversity and get the community to reconnect with nature.”

A ‘Masterplan’ has been created for each park that outlines their short, medium and long term goals.

As of now, community garden raised beds, a mud kitchen, 2000 square metres of wildflower meadows, native hedgerows and 800 native bulbs have been installed into the grounds.

Josh explains that there is also a strong dog walking community, café and fitness trail that has attracted many locals, as well as 28 core volunteers.

“After the past two years we have had, it has highlighted the need for social contact and contact with nature,” says Josh.

He added: “It has been really beneficial for us to get into nature and be in contact with a nice social group.

“Some volunteers may be socially isolated, live alone or come from a deprived background so you can only imagine the positive impact it is having.”

“Some volunteers may be socially isolated, live alone or come from a deprived background so you can only imagine the positive impact it is having.”

Josh emphasised that “we need to act now” with current environmental and ecological emergences and ecosystems collapsing.

He added that their aim is to get people who don’t have a passion for nature to care about nature recovery.

“That’s what’s really different about this project is the people we are educating about native trees, wildflower meadows and pollinators. There are people that perhaps haven’t been exposed to nature and that’s the big difference here”

We are very passionate about this project.”

Over the next few weeks, a wildlife garden will be installed that will consist of a big pond located at the back of the park. Another native hedgerow will be planted and ten native trees to encourage wildlife to the park.

The Park Foundation also hosts a variety of different community events, from guided walks, community gardening and stargazing. The next event will be volunteer community gardening at Winton Rec on Saturday 22nd January between 10 am -12 noon.