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News
News From Sefton Coast and Countryside Service, Sefton CouncilWoodland WorkWe are working on year 3 of the 20 year Forest Plan at present and have almost completed the work funded through Mersey Forest Integrated Countryside Environment Plan and Woodland Grant Scheme at Lifeboat Road and Ravenmeols. In total, 9000 trees will have been planted across the woodlands this Spring, with over 3km of fencing erected. Interpretation boards, leaflets and bird/bat/squirrel boxes are in production.
Restocking Behind St Luke's Church, the traditional craft of horse-logging or snigging has been employed to pull out some of the felled trees, carried out by Charlie Parker, whom you may have seen at past Woodland Fayres. These were fenced and replanted in spring 2005 as were the coupes felled in year 2 making a total of approximately 1.7ha of restock planting, with 70% Corsican Pine and 30% Scots Pine.
Planting
2005 Events Programme
Sea Britain
MerseyFest
North Merseyside Biodiversity Action Plans The annual Natterjack monitoring has been completed across the Coast. Over 100 people attended guided walks in April to see these national rarities at close quarters. The woodland work underway at Formby is partly designed to ensure suitable habitat for the Red Squirrels in the long term. We are working with Red Alert to achieve the targets for the Red Squirrel Species Action Plan.
Access Improvements Lifeboat Road should see improvements on the Sefton Coastal Footpath with access for all as work to upgrade this is planned for this year. We are also working with Birkdale Civic Society to install a boardwalk across Smith's Slack to allow access to the beach. This will complement the Velvet Trail and give more options for visitors, who will be able to experience this exciting new habitat as first hand.
Coast and Countryside Service Biodiversity and Access Project ILM NewsWoodland Management and Learning Development Reviews Councillor Lord Fearn visited the pinewoods at Formby recently to meet the coast team; some of whom were undergoing chainsaw training as part of the LDR process. The training is intensive and is organised through Myerscough College. Myerscough have for two years been working in partnership as part of the Coast and Countryside Biodiversity & Access Project ILM. Biodiversity and Access Project ILM The second year tranche of Environmental Trainees finished their training at the end of March. All have been offered seasonal posts with the Coast and Countryside Service to allow for six months experience working in the field. The Service was recently successful in it's application for a third year of funding from the South Sefton Partnership ILM Team. Since the BAP initiative began in 2003, sixteen people have achieved an NVQ in Environmental Conservation, chainsaw, wood chipper and herbicide training and have gained employment or have gone onto further education. Sefton Coast Woodland Plan The Sefton Coast Partnership have started implementing woodland work on the Sefton Coast as part of the Woodlands Forest Plan. The development of this plan is a significant event in the history of the coastal woodlands. This twenty year plan is compiled to provide a coherent, comprehensive and long-term view of the woodland management. The implementation of the plan in Sefton Council's woodland has been achieved with the support of local trainees taking part in the Biodiversity and Access Project (BAP) Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) Initiative, with volunteers, the BAP Young Persons programme and Social Services Adult with Disability Training programme. The BAP ILM helps unemployed people develop new skills by taking part in conservation and forestry work. Funded by the Neighbourhood Regeneration Programme, the South Sefton Partnership, and supported by Myerscough College, the BAP trainees are from the South Sefton Area and were all formerly unemployed. The team have planted 9,000 trees since January 2005. The Coast and Countryside Section is working with the Children Services Department, Connexions and Positive Futures to expand the Biodiversity and Access Project Young Persons Programme; the funding is available through the Behaviour Improvement programme (BIP) and Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP Connexions). The section already runs a successful partnership with the Drug Action Team, Youth Offending Team, Children's Services and LINCS. Text taken from Coastlines Summer 2005
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