Wild play woodland given new boost
PUBLISHED ON: 18 OCTOBER 2021MP for New Forest East, Dr Julian Lewis, attended a wild play site and helped to unveil an information panel at Holbury Manor in the New Forest.
Dr Lewis met New Forest National Park Authority staff and partners to discuss issues facing the New Forest as part of a visit to learn more about projects being delivered in the local area.
Holbury Manor is one of three wild play sites in the Forest – unique spaces to help families discover and connect with their surroundings, and where children can enjoy exercise. The NPA’s Lead education and youth officer Helen Robinson talked about the benefits of wild play, which improves health and wellbeing, and encourages young people to explore nature.
Alongside local councillors, Dr Lewis also officially unveiled an information board at Holbury about Warren Copse which is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation and an ancient woodland. Funding has helped improve the woodland for wildlife, footpaths on site, the car park surface at Holbury Drove and sculptured the wild play site.
The Warren Copse site has been funded by £24,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund Our Past, Our Future scheme; £31,000 from the National Grid’s Landscape Enhancement Initiative (LEI) and £1,000 from the Tesco Bags of Help scheme. The National Park Authority worked with Fawley Parish Council and local volunteers from Warren Copse Conservation Group to apply for the funding from the National Grid, which supports environmental improvements close to its high voltage electricity lines in national parks.
Dr Lewis also visited Calshot to learn more about the Waterside area, as well as Forest-wide initiatives to help a ‘green recovery,’ working with nature to combat climate change and the Government’s Farming in Protected Landscapes funding for environmental projects. He then went to Lepe Country Park to meet NPA Archaeologists to understand challenges facing New Forest heritage sites such as coastal erosion and climate change.
Dr Lewis said: ‘This was a fascinating tour of just three of the many valuable features of our sensitive, fertile and historic environment, and the projects underway to restore it, preserve it and make it accessible to all who live in or visit the area. The tour was particularly commendable in the light of all the difficulties posed by the pandemic, with which the NPA and its dedicated staff had to contend.’
NPA Member and Blackfield and Langley Cllr Alexis McEvoy said: ‘I was really pleased to attend the unveiling of the information panels at Warren Copse in Holbury. This fabulous hidden gem on the edge of Fawley Parish enables youngsters to experience the delights of screen free woodland fun while they explore the woodland walks and discover all that nature has to offer.
‘This is a brilliant initiative by the National Park working with Fawley Parish Council and volunteers.
ends
From left to right: Holbury & North Blackfield Cllr Allan Glass, Fawley Parish Council Chair Cllr Alan Alvery, NPA CEO Alison Barnes, Eddie Holtham Warren Copse and Holbury Manor Conservation Group, Conservative MP for New Forest East Dr Julian Lewis, Fawley, NPA Member and Blackfield and Langley Cllr Alexis McEvoy, NPA Chairman Prof. Gavin Parker at the new interpretation panel at Holbury Manor.
