Wild Ennerdale

 

 Wild Ennerdale is a partnership between The Forestry Commission (FC), The National Trust (NT) and United Utilities (UU) with a vision "To allow the evolution of Ennerdale as a wild valley for the benefit of people relying more on natural processes to shape its landscape and ecology".

The partnership formed byf 2 partners from each organisation and is supported by Rachel Oakley who is the Wild Ennerdale Project Officer. The partners meet every 2 months or so to discuss and take forward the many and varied projects that together it is hope will allow this valley to become a wilder place.

The partnerships work is very much focussed on implementing the Wild Ennerdale Stewardship Plan which is a holistic Valley wide plan covering all three land ownership's. Current projects include

• Involving people through events and activities such as guided walks, canoeing and outdoor arts
• Involving young people through local schools and the John Muir Trust
• Looking at removing sections of the lakeshore concrete revetment wall to enable natural lakeshore habitats to develop.
• Working with Natural England to improve the status of the Pillar and Ennerdale SSSI through reducing grazing.
• Working with local farmers to continue to explore opportunities to expand extensive all year round cattle grazing.
• In partnership with The Environment Agency to encourage more sustainable populations of Arctic Char, Salmon , Trout and Freshwater Pearl Mussels through removing in water obstacles, reducing sedimentation and nutrification.
• With support from the Tourism and Conservation Partnership planting native broadleaves and juniper in the eastern valley
• Working with accommodation providers such as the YHA to see how Wild Ennerdale can benefit them.
• Reducing or removing features that detract from the sense of wildness eg through encouraging the replacement of diesels generators with hydro power, reducing vehicle use, improving the look of buildings.
• Reducing the dominance of Sitka spruce through selective felling especially of areas of young spruce under 15 years old.
• Providing people with more information about the valley through the Partnerships website www.wildennerdale.co.uk and in partnership with the Lake District National Park Authority improve signing and information provision about and around the valley.
• Encourage more diverse (species, structure and age) woodland development through thinning and the introduction of cattle.

For more information about Wild Ennerdale please visit the Partnerships