Hedging milestone for canal trust
THE completion of 600m of hedge boundary between the Lichfield Canal and Falkland Road has rounded off a massive effort by restoration trust volunteers, supporters and sponsors.
Mixed hedging on a turf mound, interspersed with a variety of trees, is a significant part of the blue and green environmental corridor which the restored canal will bring to Lichfield.
Duke of Edinburgh award students and Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust green and grounds team worked with construction volunteers to build the last available sections of the turf mound.
LHCRT engineering director Peter Buck said: “We thank our supporters/sponsors and all our trust volunteers who have turned out in all weathers and worked so hard to achieve this significant milestone restoration of the Lichfield Canal for the community.”
A number of donations have helped to reach this milestone completion. A grant worth over £ 2300 from South Staffs Water’s PEBBLE (Projects that Explore Biodiversity Benefits in the Local Environment) fund bought a large number of hedge plants in spring 2021.
The Lichfield branch of u3a, a UK- wide movement of locally run interest groups providing learning and leisure activities for retired people, contributed £1 for each of its 680 members, while a couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary by donating 50 trees to the trust.
Jane and Brian Taylor were present on Brian’s 85th birthday to see the first trees being planted.
The hedging was also partly funded by around £1000 from the Big Give Xmas Challenge, in which the trust aimed to raise £3500 which would be match-funded.
In the event, trust supporters easily passed the target, raising a total of £13,580.64.
This money is being used to fund trees, hedging and wildflowers along the canal, as well as bird houses, bat boxes and information boards. Timber gates have been installed to give a secure access to the canal land for the remaining activities.