Three Guernsey woodland projects have been awarded funding from the Storm Ciarán Recovery Fund. £35,000 will be used on projects at the St Saviour’s reservoir Millennium Walk; Bluebell Wood in St Peter Port and on National Trust of Guernsey sites.
The Storm Ciarán Recovery Fund was created after the devastation caused by the storm in November 2023 when Guernsey lost more than 350 trees in gale force winds.
The States of Guernsey provided £15,000 for the Storm Ciarán Recovery Fund in recognition of the damage caused to woodlands which islanders enjoy all year round. In addition, a further donation was provided by a very generous, corporate donor. The Nature Commission was pleased to administer the Fund that totalled £35,000.
Enhancing Guernsey’s natural environment for people is at the heart of the Nature Commission’s work and the Storm Ciarán Recovery Fund will provide financial support for these three projects that focus on nature in publicly accessible areas:
- The Bluebell Wood project will focus on improving the native flora and fauna in this popular woodland and enriching the visitor experience of nature. The project will include the production of an attractive interpretation board giving visitors information about the woodland habitat.
- The Millennium Walk project at St Saviour’s reservoir will mainly involve planting native trees, but other enhancements to this popular walk will be additional benches and educational signage.
- The National Trust of Guernsey project will create areas for planting new native trees across three sites by making the sites safe and accessible from fallen trees.
Angela Salmon, Head of Operations and Education at the Nature Commission, said: “We were thrilled to receive a variety of applications for woodland projects in public areas. These projects are on popular sites that are used regularly by the public. We hope that the enhancements to these woodland areas will encourage even more people to go outdoors and connect with nature.”
Tania Sargent, Guernsey Water Customer Services Manager: “We know there is plenty of love and affection for the Millennium Walk, and it was with huge regret we had to close it for an extended period time after the damage caused by Storm Ciaran. We are therefore thrilled to have received almost a third of the money from the recovery fund and will be putting it to the very best use, taking the opportunity to not only restore the walk to its former glory, but enhance and add to it as well.
“We’ve got a few exciting plans for the area and can’t wait to announce them – keep your eyes on our social media pages for information of how we’re going to turn the Millennium Walk all the way up to 11.”
