Riverside ARK launches
Plants and wildlife initative
Community environmental group Riverside Naturally has added an ‘ARK’ to its projects, which already include a community orchard and a woodland garden.
An ARK - or Act of Restorative Kindness - is a thriving patch of native plants and creatures which is minimally managed to allow natural regeneration.
The ARK is on land managed by Stirling Council’s Fisheries Service adjacent to the recently developed Riverside Quay student accommodation.
The Fisheries Service has worked with Riverside Naturally and in February 2020 planted locally grown oak trees.
The pandemic has interrupted progress but in December a new sign was erected to inform the many people who walk along the river path. In the spring of 2021 native wildflower seed will be added to already diverse mix of plants.
Once part of the Forthside Ministry of Defence complex, the ARK is expected to establish itself as a simple ecosystem very quickly.
Over time it will become a strong wildlife habitat and eventually a complex community of native trees, plants, creatures and micro-organisms. Oak trees provide food to hundreds of insect species.
The Fisheries Service was particularly keen to support Riverside Naturally’s initiative as it will increase the local insect population and so provide food for fish in the Forth.
Paul Dumbleton of Riverside Naturally said: “The river is a huge asset to Stirling. Major developments on its bank such as Riverside Quay threaten its function as a corridor for wildlife through our city.
“We want to make Riverside a better place to live by making it a better place for nature and the ARK is another contribution to this.”
Eve Keepax, chair of the group, added: “The ARK is part of an international movement and people can find inspiration to establish their own ARK in their garden at the website www. wearetheark.org.”
More information at www. riversidenaturally.org.