Youngsters help put down roots in village (From Gazette & Herald)

Youngsters help put down roots in village

12:22pm Wednesday 7th December 2011 in Farming news

AMPLEFORTH’S showpiece Millennium Green is set to get a new look next spring after children spent a morning planting wildflowers and hedgerow trees.

Organised by the parish council, youngsters from the Daisy Care Nursery and pupils from St Hilda’s and St Benedict’s primary schools, helped by volunteers carry out the work.

Don Davies, Ryedale District Council’s countryside officer, said the aim was to help improve the biodiversity of the hay meadow.

Some 200 plug plants of wildflowers such as cowslips and tansy were planted, and under the watchful eye of tree surgeon, Michael Young, 200 locally-grown trees were planted to restore an ancident hedgerow.

Mr Davies also demonstrated bat and bird boxes to the children, and showed a barn owl box he had made.

Coun Carolyn Smith, vice-chairman of the parish council, who attended the planting ceremony with fellow councillors, said: “I was delighted to see how the children and helpers from Ampleforth were so actively involved. Everyone was very impressed with the children’s enthusiasm.”

Other improvements have been made as part of the Ampleforth Millennium Green Project, including the clearing out of the pond and soil heaps improved. An interpretation boards with illustrations by schoolchildren is to be erected shortly.

The project has been funded through the Ryedale Small Scale Enhancements Scheme, co-ordinated by the district council as a subsidiary of the North York Moors, Coast and Hills EU Leader programme which benefits conservation schemes in rural heritage areas.