Tuesday 13-02-2024 - 15:52

 

 

Green Lancaster had a brilliant day in the bay exploring soon-to-be home of the Eden Project Morecambe through its themes of ‘education, ecology, and community’.  

 

 

The Eden Project North is a collaborative endeavour, aiming to create an immersive environmental experience focusing on the core themes of education, ecology, and communication. It is based on the original Eden Project in Cornwall, bringing the seaside bay of Morecambe to the 21st Century and inspiring connection with the natural world and wellbeing. 

The team here at Green Lancaster recently headed to Morecambe Bay, exploring where the future Eden Project will be located, and discovering what the project has already been up to locally.  

The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery, works in partnership with the Eden Project North to provide support sessions to those struggling with mental health difficulties by engaging them with the wildlife and biodiversity of the bay.  

Amber (Community Engagement Officer at Eden Project North), and volunteers from The Bay, took us on a walk along Morecambe promenade to spot some coastal winter birds. Morecambe Bay is a Ramsar site, with the largest area of intertidal mudflats in the UK, and home to amazing biodiversity, which the Eden Project North will help people connect with.  

During our walk, we were able to witness some of this wonderful wildlife, spotting curlews, oystercatchers, redshanks, and merganser ducks. We also learnt about threats to coastal birds, including coastal squeeze, agricultural intensification, and the disruption of beach habitats by people and dogs.  

Heading inland, we walked along the cycle path (which acts as a wildlife corridor) to try some winter tree identification, followed by litter picking to help improve the area for both people and wildlife. A staggering 9 bags of rubbish were gathered in just 30 minutes!  

Our final destination was Clay Pitts Park, a community garden project run by UK charity Groundworks. The park is an important greenspace in the local community, and a vital wildlife corridor, so the project focuses on enhancing this area for all. After a hot drink and some lunch, we got involved in some practical conservation tasks at the park, such as native hedgerow planting and community garden planning. Doing something practical to contribute to the project was a highlight of the day for many!  

Follow our social media and events page to keep up to date with upcoming waste themed Green Lancaster Adventures, ECOWild trips, pop-up events plus a fun celebration event in week 10!