Oldside in Workington, Cumbria is now buzzing thanks to a b-line project funded by Rees Jeffreys Road Fund. The Get Cumbria Buzzing project has not only had a positive impact for wildlife, but also improved the vista from the A596.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust who led the project say,
“Through this project we have forged excellent links with the Allerdale Borough Council, and made long-lasting connections with the Workington Nature partnership and their committed volunteers. Through these partnerships we can be confident that the site will continue to be maintained for the benefit of pollinators for many years to come.
By partnering with Butterfly Conservation staff and volunteers we have recorded 24 species of butterfly at the site which is fantastic news. The common blue has particularly benefited from the restoration and is Oldside is now regarded as the species’ favourite breeding site in the north of England which is a great achievement.”
The project started in the autumn of 2019, when some areas of land were scraped to encourage the growth of wildflowers. The project team go on to say,
“The new scrapes on site have resulted in a biodiversity net gain for 3,100m2 of the site due to habitat works and ongoing management, and 1,900 m2 has benefited from habitat management as a result. When the Defra biodiversity metric is applied there has been a net biodiversity gain of 53.24% for the areas that have received habitat works and ongoing management as part of Get Cumbria Buzzing project.“
The Get Cumbria Buzzing Project is just one of a number of projects Rees Jeffreys Road Fund has supported that are collectively improving understanding, knowledge and expertise in the management of roadside verges. Other projects have included:
- CIRIA’s report on greening linear assets.
- Plantlife’s Verge Management Hub
- ADEPT’s Value of Trees project
News item: 16th August 2022
