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A new community
woodland project began in Fiddlewood in February 2004.
The aim of this
project is to support Fiddlewood residents to become more
involved with the local woodlands, have
more control over what happens to
them, and to work to ensure they become a valued
natural area for people
to enjoy. BTCV, the UK’s largest practical conservation charity,
is working in
partnership with the Cat n’ Fiddle Partnership, Norwich City Council
and
Fiddlewood residents to look after and develop the Fiddle and Night
plantations on
the Fiddlewood estate.
The project is one of 4 projects being undertaken by the
Norwich City Council
in the Catton Grove area. Without the involvement of local
people this
project will not succeed. All residents require to get involved is to be
interested and
concerned about their local neighbourhood.
So what’s in it for Local people?
Residents
can influence what happens to the woods – help make the woods
a safer,
cleaner, better place to enjoy, redesign the paths, or
perhaps create
areas for seating. Residents can gain free qualifications.
Local
people can learn project planning and management skills.
The community can directly contribute to improving their
local environment.
It’s an opportunity to gain practical woodland management
experience and
learn conservation skills.
Why’s it called
Fiddlewood?
Fiddlewood was known
as Fiddle Plantation in the 1800s though the area has
been woodland much longer than that
– possibly over 1000 years! It was
called this apparently because the shape of the wood on
a map forms the
shape of a fiddle! But Fiddlewood is also a tropical tree species native
to
Florida – which doesn’t grow in this wood!
The wood was part of the Catton Hall estate until 1974 when
the Fiddlewood
part was sold to Norwich City Council. A proposal, recently submitted
to the
Heritage Lottery fund, to redesign Catton Park with improved footpaths and
wildflower areas describes the park as being important to art-historians
because it was
the first commission of the well-respected Victorian
landscape designer – Humphry
Repton. The project is trying to discover
whether Repton was involved in the design
and planting of Fiddlewood and
Night plantations.
Local opinion on the wood.
Of the people the project has spoken to more than 89% were
concerned
about litter and fly-tipping in the wood, 84% felt that dog waste is a problem
in the wood and 31% felt that the paths could be improved in some way.
Progress so far.
So far the project has undertaken various
information and planning events
with local groups, as well as organising a number of woodland
management
days, holding a community tree planting event and an Easter fun day for
local children to build bird boxes. “Local residents have been involved from
the outset and you can already see the positive impact this has had in the
wood. Our next
main concern is to tackle the fly-tipping in the
area” said Heather Mackay, Project Officer
at BTCV.
Anyone can help out and learn
about wood management and local wildlife
at the same time. Contact Louise Coombes for more
information.
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Dog damage
to trees » |
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Litter
collected from Fiddlewood » |
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Litter
collected from Fiddlewood » |
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Bluebells
in Fiddlewood » |
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Easter fun
day » |
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Easter fun
day » |
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For further information or to get involved contact:
Louise Coombes
Fiddlewood Project Officer, BTCV
Royal Oak Court
Horns Lane
Ber Street
Norwich NR1 3ER
Tel: 01603 767300
Email:
L.Coombes@btcv.org.uk
Web:
www.btcv.org
This project is a partnership between the Cat n’ Fiddle
Partnership, Norwich City Council
and BTCV. Funds are from the Office of the Deputy Prime
Minister. |
