Birds, butterflies and bats will be well fed this year once volunteers create a wildlife haven on a newly accessible island.
The haven is being created on The Crannog on Grange Pool in Telford Town Park, made possible since the broken bridge to the island was replaced with a concrete and steel structure last year.
Now, volunteer group The Friends of Telford Town Park (FOTTP) have started cutting back all overgrowth on the island in preparation to begin the next phase of the ongoing project.
The group will install benches for a bird watching area, make and install bird hides, bird feeding stations, butterfly feeding stations, bird and bat boxes and also put up a notice board at the site, as well as arrange speakers to talk at the nearby learning site.
Andy Bunn, Secretary of FOTTP, said: “Work is well underway on the next phase of our project, and we are very excited to be another step closer.
“There is a lot to do, but we know the area can become a wonderful setting and we are only now able to begin the work since the new bridge was installed, thanks to National Lottery funding and money from Telford & Wrekin Council.
“We could not do this large project without the help of volunteers and businesses in and around Telford, and we’re so thrilled that we can already start to feed the birds on the island, thanks to a wonderful donation of bird feed ready for the bird feeding stations being put up. The manager and their colleagues at Dobbies Garden Centre in Donnington have been really friendly and helpful in giving us a large donation of this.
“The Crannog is situated at the southern end of the Town Park, well away from the busy town centre end, and to some extent hidden gems of the Town Park.”
Crannog is a Celtic word meaning ‘man-made island’ and this crannog was established in the 1990s to support the study of wildlife around Grange Pool.
Dobbies have so far donated four large bags of bird feed and have committed to continuing to give more as and when it is possible.
Julie Butler and Clare Dixon of Dobbies Telford handed over the feed. Julie said: “It is a pleasure to be able to support the Friends of Telford Town Park on this project.
“Creating this island gives the community an opportunity to help protect birds, butterflies and bats, and build a wildlife haven where they can thrive and repopulate.
“We hope our donation of bird feed will support existing bird populations while also helping attract new species.
“Supporting our local communities is incredibly important to us and we’re proud to be able to play a part in helping nature flourish.”
The wider project by the Friends in the area incluqwdes repairing the Onion seating area, painting all benches and tables, clearing all pathways around the pool, enhance the car parking area, planting new bushes to help to support the banks, enhancing the hedge way along the path by planting more hedgerow trees and making and installing benches and tables around the pool and Crannog area for all to enjoy.
The Friends have had support from local business Simmonds Transport to continue the work.
There are 25 members of FOTTP and gardening sessions are held each week on a Wednesday morning and once a month on a Saturday morning as well.
To keep up to date with their work follow their Facebook page, Instagram page or visit their website www.friendsoftelfordtownpark.org.
You can also support them by signing up to the TWINCL lottery to help raise money for the work they do. Anyone can do this by visiting www.twincl.co.uk and choosing FOTTP as the cause to support.
