Wild Ennerdale Summer 2019 Newsletter

Summer Newsletter 2019

Cuckoo bee (Bombus Sylvestris) on Wild Thyme Woundell Beck, Ennerdale Photo: Ennerdale School Forestry Work

Timber harvesting will commence later this summer and continue through to late 2020/ early 2021. The main purpose is to continue to open up the valley bottom removing non native conifer and make space for planting native species (e.g. scots pine, oak, birch, rowan & juniper) along with some areas left for natural regeneration and open habitats.

There’ll be a ‘whole valley thinning’ approach removing around 20% of the non native trees with the aim of opening up the canopy to encourage natural regeneration, improve tree stability and timber quality.

There will be five clear fells where all the trees will be removed including Crag, to remove mature larch, reduce larch disease risk and continue native woodland restoration, Bowness Knott, to allow future native woodland connection with areas under Herdus, and three sites in the eastern valley bottom.

In advance of these works the forest roads are being resurfaced using stone locally sourced from within the Ennerdale valley. This reduces traffic through Ennerdale Bridge and ensures that the chemistry of water run-off from the roads is the same as the valleys.

Cotton Grass on Gillerthwaite Mire This is wetting up nicely following dam construction by our Wild Ennerdale Volunteers to block existing drains. A great haven for a range of wildlife.

United Utilities (West)

Diane O’Leary from West Cumbria Rivers Trust and colleagues from the Wild Ennerdale team recently led an evening walk in lovely sunshine along the western lakeshore from the weir to the Old Anglers site and back long the Ennerdale Views loop.

This was a public event aimed at providing an update on current plans and future management of this area. Topics included Ben Gill, Freshwater Mussels, fish, wider catchment management and grazing, along with plans to remove the broken concrete revetment section at the Old Anglers site.

Thirteen people attended with some visitors travelling from Workington, Maryport and Cockermouth.

Youthful Energy: Litter Blitz

A big ‘thank you’ to the Frizington & Arlecdon Bandits for their fantastic efforts to litter pick the lakeshore path at an event they organised at the end of June. The children collected 5 bin bags full of rubbish which made this part of the valley much more pleasant for visitors after their hard work.

Much of the litter comprised dog waste bags—both the Bandits and landowners request responsible disposal of dog waste by owners by taking it home.

Youthful Energy: John Muir Award

Ph oto : We st Cu mb ria Riv ers Tru st Photo: Joanne Jeynes

Key stage 2 children from Ennerdale School enjoyed a sunny day out recently at Silver Cove in Ennerdale.

They learnt about how the valley is being looked after through partnership working and did some detailed quadrat surveys to record plant species (& cow pats!).

The floral diversity was great to see and their records will contribute towards them achieving their John Muir Award. The children also had a fantastic eye for wildlife, including this rare find of a type of Leafhopper (Planaphrodes bifasciata)- only 33 previous recordings for Cumbria; 25 of those before 1938! (well done Saul!)

Photo: Ennerdale School

Our spring Squirrel monitoring work has been going well. We use trail cameras and these pick up great photos of Squirrels and other animals including Badger and (on the left) an Otter in the dense conifer. forest below Pillar.

Wild Ennerdale

Photo: Wild Ennerdale

is a partnership of people and organisations led by the Forestry Commission, National Trust, United Utilities and Natural England. The Wild Ennerdale Partners are allowing the landscape to evolve naturally with reducing human intervention and invite you to explore this unique valley and experience its special sense of wildness. wildennerdale.co.uk