David Faulkner, FACT Secretary with Liz Lovatt, NWT Communications and Engagement Manager in front of one of the new signs at the St Nicholas Park reserve. Image by Fiona Dryden.
The donation has enabled the wildlife charity to install new information panels and colourful signage at its St Nicholas Park Activity Centre and nature reserve in Gosforth as part of its campaign to encourage people to value their green spaces and protect wildlife.
Situated in the grounds of St Nicholas Hospital in Gosforth, the reserve was originally a large kitchen garden providing produce for its patients with the Garden House, which has acted as the wildlife charity’s headquarters since the early nineties, serving as the accommodation for the gardener who oversaw the site.
Popular with dog walkers, school groups, local residents and school pupils who walk through it to access the schools in the Gosforth, the reserve contains a variety of trees that provide shelter at any time of year for birds such a bullfinches, great spotted woodpeckers, sparrows, robins and blue tits.
The meadow area attracts butterflies including holly blue, small skipper, comma and orange tip and the site’s two ponds harbour a variety of plants and animals such as dragonflies and damselflies not to mention the large numbers of frogs that visit each year in early spring to mate.
Fawdon and Coxlodge Together (FACT) is managed by volunteers who live in the Fawdon and Coxlodge area and links a number of groups and residents in the community giving them a voice, engaging them in volunteering whilst working together for the improvement of the community.
David Faulkner, Secretary of Fawdon and Coxlodge Together said:
“St Nicholas Park is a much valued green space in this part of the city, so it is great we’ve been able to raise the profile of the site via new information panels.
“We hope that, in turn, people will be encouraged to take care of this gem of a reserve when using it, or maybe even volunteer with the wildlife charity’s gardening group that looks after it.”
Liz Lovatt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Communications and Engagement Manager said:
“We’re really grateful for the donation from the group and delighted with our new signage which helps to showcase the Trust and its work as well as giving valuable insights into the wildlife found on our St Nicholas Park site.”