The Wildflower Ark
Working to help conserve plant diversity in the Lower Tees Valley and increase public awareness of local plants and their habitats.
History
The Wildflower Ark came into being in 1998 as a result of the efforts of two local naturalists, Ian Lawrence of Cleveland Naturalists and author of ‘The Wild Flowers of Cleveland’ and Ken Smith of Industry Nature Conservation Association (INCA). Ian and Ken wanted to ensure that a number of plant species that were becoming rare and threatened were not lost from the Lower Tees Valley. They approached a local charity, The Botanic Centre, which has a visitor and training centre called Nature’s World, and together they secured landfill tax funding from Cleveland Waste Management. The project aimed to collect seed from locally rare and scarce species and set up a seed bank and plant nursery. Helen Herring, John Jenkins and Martin Allen worked on the project successfully locating and collecting over 50 species.
The Wildflower Ark has progressed as a series of projects (see below) centred on the core objective of helping to conserve plant diversity in the Lower Tees Valley and increasing public awareness of local plants and their habitats.
Corus Germination Packs
provision of a wildflower plant propagation unit with teacher information pack for use in six schools to germinate local wildflower seed; the resulting plants were used in their school grounds. Funded by Corus Landfill Tax.
Wildflower Education Project
provision of wildflower habitats in the grounds of Nature’s World with associated exhibitions and trail sheets for use by visiting schools, and a polythene tunnel for community groups and school children to propagate locally sourced wildflowers for their own projects. Funded by NWET Landfill Tax Fund.
Wildflower Nursery and Database
to set up a wildflower nursery at Nature’s World to house the collection of rare and scarce plant species and to increase the seed and plant collection of more common plant species of local native origin for use in conservation and community projects. A Recorder 2002 database was also set up covering plant distribution in the Lower Tees Valley, and work was continued with schools and local community groups to raise public awareness of local plants and their habitats. Funded by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
Local Trees for Local People
to set up a nursery of organically grown local native tree seedlings for use in local conservation and community projects. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund with assistance from Groundwork Middlesbrough
Local Tree Records
to set up a database and information archive on local native trees and their distribution, and to produce exhibitions and other material to increase public knowledge of local native trees. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Ancient Hedgerows of Stockton
The location, surveying and recording of ancient hedgerows (created before 1720) within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees, researching and documenting their history and compiling a database of computerised and paper records of hedgerow location, character, condition and heritage value. The local community were informed and included through volunteer opportunities and training, exhibitions and information leaflets. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and carried out in partnership with Tees Archaeology and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.