Whitehaven coast transformed by charities and hard-working volunteers

Over the last few years, the National Trust and Cumbria Wildlife Trust have been working together to bring more flowers to the Whitehaven coast as part of the award-winning Get Cumbria Buzzing and Planting for Pollinators projects.

The National Trust has laid on some events and is encouraging everyone to enjoy the colourful results of their efforts.

Heath restoration work being done as part of the project which has transformed the coastal area (Image: Supplied)

By creating and expanding on flower rich habitats such as gardens, grasslands, hedgerows, glades etc, the project aims to ensure pollinators have access to nectar rich zones which provide food, shelter and nesting sites as they move along their existing network of pathways or “B-lines” in north Cumbria.

On the Whitehaven Coast specifically, the project has included heathland restoration work with a new approach to establishing heather developed with a local contractor which is now being regarded as a case study by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

640 heather plug plants and 1.6kg of heather seed and pods went into the ground, 11,000 native bluebells were also planted, and 500 native trees went in to form 120m of flower and fruit rich hedgerows.

Work was completed with the help of local volunteers including the Whitehaven Harbour youth project and Whitehaven Asylum seekers who together spent nearly 60 hours planting on the coast.

Hedgerow planting on the Whitehaven coast (Image: Supplied)

Trust Ranger Chris Gomersall said: "It's been great to be involved with these projects which provide a real springboard for habitat restoration plans locally.

"It’s been a really collaborative and enjoyable approach with support all the way. Knowing your efforts contribute to part of a bigger plan is massively encouraging."

Tanya St Pierre, Planting for Pollinators project manager at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: "The Whitehaven Coast is a hugely important area for our wild pollinators. It's been fantastic to see this area transformed into a flower rich haven, and over time with sympathetic ongoing management it will get even better!

"The use of native plants has been instrumental in the restoration process, as not only do they provide important nectar and pollen, they also provide the larval food plants on which many insects such as butterflies and moths depend.

"It’s been a real privilege working with the National Trust and their volunteers on this project."

The National Trust has put together a series of free events happening throughout the year, including family play days, a guided walk to learn about the industrial heritage of the Whitehaven Coast as well as another chance to get involved in bulb planting and wild art.

Management of the site will continue by the rangers. Annual weeding will need to take place to limit competition from neighbouring vegetation.

For more information on the work being done on the Whitehaven Coast and on the events you can take part in, go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/whitehaven-coast or Facebook: @whitehavencoast.