danby wood action team
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Friends of Danby Wood and the residents from Eaton Rise Residents Association are celebrating success with their application from Grants For All Lottery Fund having been awarded £9,869!
Friends of Danby Wood was launched in June 2016 and since then the group has grown from strength to strength with over 40 volunteers of all abilities and ranging in age from 12-80 years. All with a passion for working together to improve access, biodiversity and environment for wildlife and visitor alike. The greater part of the wood is owned by Norwich City Council with a smaller section owned by Eaton Golf Course. It was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1984, and the area owned by Norwich City Council is maintained by The Norwich Fringe, over the past three years FODW has acted as a support group to them. Since spring 2019 FODW have created an Action Team of six of their volunteers who have undergone management training and are in the process of doing a First Aid course. |
Members of the Action Team:
From back left to right - Les Rowlands, Tim Simpson Front left to right- Kathleen Rowlands, Nigel Cooper, plus Jane Simpson & Alan Shilling (not shown) |
This training and the welcome grant funding will enable Friends of Danby Wood to work more frequently and independently following the guidance of a Management plan put in place by Norwich City Council.
Kathleen Rowlands spokesperson for the group said, " We have really developed as a community recognising our individual strengths so that there is a place and job for everyone within the group. We don't expect volunteers to be able to do heavy work but we like to encourage people to do jobs that they're happy with for example litter picking, planting seeds and trees, to cutting back ivy and, for those more active building steps or repair work. We all work together and each job is as valuable as the next, it's all about teamwork. Watching our two youngest volunteers aged 12 working alongside our more mature volunteers is a joy. We try not to let age, gender and ability be a problem. One of the highlights of this group is for a break halfway through work to engage with each other over a hot drink and homemade cakes, especially rewarding if we have a bonfire on the go. It's great to see so many friendships having been forged.
Our Action Team worked hard to put together a strong application and we are thrilled with the outcome. This will enable us to buy essential tools, protective clothing, materials for repairing steps and creating new steps to make the various levels of the wood more accessible and continue to improve the car park. We will be looking to create glades to encourage more wildlife, including bees and butterflies by planting more trees, bluebells and wildflower seeds.
Plans are being drawn up to create circular footpath walks, these will be shown by posts throughout the wood. Signage is high on our list with an interpretation board showing the colourful history of the site from 1797 with the chalk mining / lime working community to the present day as a Local Nature Reserve, (one of nine in Norwich). Recently we have encouraged year 6 children to visit the wood and in the future we would like to see the wood being used as an outdoor classroom for local schools and families educating children on the benefits of woodlands for everyone, including making bird boxes, identification of trees, flowers, bugs and hopefully bring in a visit from a bird of prey handler and owl. These plans are all ongoing but there's plenty to do for now.
kathleenrowlands@virginmedia.com
Kathleen Rowlands spokesperson for the group said, " We have really developed as a community recognising our individual strengths so that there is a place and job for everyone within the group. We don't expect volunteers to be able to do heavy work but we like to encourage people to do jobs that they're happy with for example litter picking, planting seeds and trees, to cutting back ivy and, for those more active building steps or repair work. We all work together and each job is as valuable as the next, it's all about teamwork. Watching our two youngest volunteers aged 12 working alongside our more mature volunteers is a joy. We try not to let age, gender and ability be a problem. One of the highlights of this group is for a break halfway through work to engage with each other over a hot drink and homemade cakes, especially rewarding if we have a bonfire on the go. It's great to see so many friendships having been forged.
Our Action Team worked hard to put together a strong application and we are thrilled with the outcome. This will enable us to buy essential tools, protective clothing, materials for repairing steps and creating new steps to make the various levels of the wood more accessible and continue to improve the car park. We will be looking to create glades to encourage more wildlife, including bees and butterflies by planting more trees, bluebells and wildflower seeds.
Plans are being drawn up to create circular footpath walks, these will be shown by posts throughout the wood. Signage is high on our list with an interpretation board showing the colourful history of the site from 1797 with the chalk mining / lime working community to the present day as a Local Nature Reserve, (one of nine in Norwich). Recently we have encouraged year 6 children to visit the wood and in the future we would like to see the wood being used as an outdoor classroom for local schools and families educating children on the benefits of woodlands for everyone, including making bird boxes, identification of trees, flowers, bugs and hopefully bring in a visit from a bird of prey handler and owl. These plans are all ongoing but there's plenty to do for now.
kathleenrowlands@virginmedia.com