Flora enhancement project
Group members and young
helpers planting an oak tree to mark
Antrobus being voted
Cheshire Vibrant Village of the year 2006
The
group has now completed its 5-year flora project, for which it received the Cheshire
Countryside Award 2003. To date 180 trees have been planted alongside roads and
public rights of way. It is encouraging to see individual landowners also
planting trees since the project began. Bluebells, primroses, red campion and
other native wildflowers have been established in suitable locations. In 2007
trees, flowers and hedging were planted along a former ancient highway now part
of an 8 km themed walk (The Boyd Walk) in Antrobus. Maintenance of this flora
takes up much of the group’s time. We are now (October 2009) preparing to plant
trees along the northernmost 100m of Public Footpath Antrobus 1. This has been
fenced by the land owners and should develop into a nice avenue of native trees
and provide shade for their horses.
Many
of the trees used have been provided by Cheshire Landscape Trust, Mersey Forest
and the local wholesale nursery, Wm. Boosey Ltd.
Nesting
boxes were erected last winter along the Boyd Walk and a survey is now to be
done to establish how many were occupied and to clean them out where necessary.