Rewilding Hyndburn’s Green Spaces

The Rewilding Project continues into the Spring/Summer season with lots of hardwork and preperation going into the Commmunity Garden sites.

The Rewilding Volunteers have been busy on GrOwING Wild Community Garden, Baxenden cutting back bramble from the pathways and stairs to aid access on the site.

Woodnook Community Garden has seen extensive brash clearing with Bramble and Snowberry being cut back to make space for more diverse flora. Several varieties of fruit trees have been planted including; cherry, medlar, quince, greengage and fig. Numerous soft fruit bushes and rhubarb crowns have also been planted. Blueberry, Cranberry, lingonberry and pink currant have all be planted on the site.
The site owner Onward supported PROSPECTS with a flytipping clearning day with Onward staff supported by the Rewilding Volunteers removing flytipping from the site into a skip and for collection by Onward’s Environmental Services Team.

Miller Fold Allotment has undergone a winter make over, with the growing beds being hoed, weeded and dug over with organic matter from catch crop Green Manures being incorporated into the soil structure. Seed sowing has begun with onion sets being planted outside and peas, broadbeans, various greens and herbs being sown for the coming growing season.
PROSPECTS Green Team Trainees are assisting the project by applying for funding to replace the raised beds and improve access on site with a renovated pathway to assist wheelchair users and those with mobility issues.

Woodwork has been a regularly monthly workshop with volunteers constructing planters, habitat boxes (including bird boxes) and pyrography projects.

If you would like to get involved please contact Rewilding Project Officer Gareth Muir – gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

The Rewilding project has been working with the pupils at St John’s Primary at their Nuttal site to engage the children in food growing, exploring nature and healthy eating.

Project Officer Gareth has delivered numerous activities including; apple juice pressing, making bird feeders, mushroom logs, Tree identification, wildflower bulb & seed planting, Himalayan Balsam removal and making festive baubles from wooden discs.

The project will continue working with the school to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs for the children to enjoy and to teach them about healthy choice and environmentally sustainable choices.

If you would like your school to get involved with PROSPECTS please email info@prospectsfoundation.org.uk or phone the office on 01254 230 348

The Rewilding project is generously funded by the Lancashire County Council Food Grant Scheme, D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and The Windfall Fund

The Rewilding project continues into 2023 with Project Officer Gareth Muir delivering a weekly Tuesday session on several sites in Hyndburn.

A work plan of season tasks will be undertaken by volunteers to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs, alongside planting for pollinators.

Tasks over the coming months will include: composting, mulching, seed sowing, pruning, fruit tree planting, chitting potatoes and repairing raised beds.

The last Tuesday of the month is spent at the PROSPECTS workshop in Oakhill Park. Woodwork projects will be made from recycled wood and include; wooden planters, bird/bug/bee boxes along with making plant labels with pyrography.

The Rewilding project also works with several schools in the borough enabling children to explore the natural world, create habitat for nature and grow their own food.

St John’s – Great Harwood and Lee Royd Nursery – Woodnook are involved in growing vegetables on their grounds and exploring other green spaces in the area.

Support has also been given to All Saints Church, Clayton-Le-Moors in the form of a Winter work day.

If you would like to get involved as a volunteer or involve your school/community group, please get in contact with Gareth – gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

Thanks to The Windfall Fund, D’Olyly Carte Charitable Trust and The Lancashire County Council Food Grant Scheme for the funds to make the project possible!

Thanks to a generous donation by the Arnold Clarke Community Fund, PROSPECTS has purchased apple juicing equipment!
https://www.arnoldclark.com/community-fund

Our Rewilding Officer Gareth, will be organising several juice pressing activities from late August onwards. Check our Events Calendar to see when and where the sessions will be held – https://prospectsfoundation.org.uk/events/
We ask that participants bring a clean plastic bottle to store their juice.

If you have excess apples, which you would wish to donate, please contact Gareth – gareth.muir@prospectsfoundation.org.uk / 01254 230348 to arrange for drop off at our office or collection by our staff.

(Please only donate ripe fruit which is in a suitable condition for human consumption)

• Put some compost in a clean seed tray/pot or layer a plate with at least four layers tissue or cotton wool and moisten the compost/tissue.
• Sprinkle on the seeds (so they look like a sesame seeded bun) and put on a sunny windowsill.
• Check the compost/tissue a couple of times a day to make sure it is moist (not wet) and you should see sprouts starting to grow from the seeds in a few days.

Depending on what you have sown the microveg will be ready for harvesting from 5 days to a few weeks, when they look like cress that you buy in punnets from the shop. Snip with scissors, wash and eat in salad, a sandwich or sprinkle into a soup or onto your dinner to add flavour. Remember to re-sow every few days.