Gloucestershire County Council is working on a green corridor for wildlife. The walkway, on a disused railway site, will consist of more than 3,000 trees and shrubs which will be planted alongside a two-acre expanse of land between Canterbury Walk and Bournside School.
The council held a planting day on January 19, with help from 15 pupils from Burnside School’s eco-ministry group.
A mix of trees and shrubs
The trees to be planted include a mix of native species including hazel beech, oak and hawthorn, as well as lots of shrubs and hedgerow plants.
The project will run for five years and will cost more than £45,000, with the funding coming from the council and the Forestry Commission’s Local Authority Treescape Fund. The council hopes to plant a total of 80,000 trees across Gloucestershire this year.
Once the corridor is established, Bournside pupils will help to maintain and preserve the facility.
GCC councillor David Gray said that he’s delighted that the council is creating a wildlife corridor in Cheltenham because it will create habitats and promote biodiversity, as well as reduce the county’s carbon footprint. It’s also, he said, evidence of how GCC is working to tackle the climate emergency.
Cllr Emma Nelson, the GCC local member for Leckhampton and Warden Hill said that as the site had been neglected for years, the planting project was a great opportunity to create a peaceful haven for wildlife and to reduce pollution and carbon emissions.
Bournside’s eco-ministry students happy to be involved
The assistant headteacher at Bournside School, Gareth Taylor, said that the eco-ministry students at the school were delighted to be involved in the corridor planting. The school has already planted more than 400 trees on its site and the two projects have taught the pupils a great deal about woodland life, as well as creating a legacy for future generations. The school’s pupils have also created a community garden in Hatherley Park and go on regular litter picks to clean up the area.
