Nature Rich Miterdale

Welcome!

Nature Rich Miterdale - Click here to see our StoryMaps; read all about Miterdale, key species, habitats and the Nature Rich Miterdale project, or read our blog here for quarterly tales from the Valley!

A Short Introduction

The Nature Rich Miterdale project aims to restore a 562 hectares site in the Miterdale Valley, located in the Western Lake District National Park. The project seeks to create a thriving mosaic of wildlife-rich environments, including upland oak-birch woodlands, species-rich grasslands, heathlands, and wet flushes. These restoration efforts will support a wide range of species that have experienced significant decline in the area, such as spotted and pied flycatchers, redstarts, ring ouzels, tree pipits, and cuckoos. Key to the project is the removal of invasive species like Rhododendron ponticum and non-native conifers, which have overtaken parts of the valley. By addressing these issues and repairing stock fences to manage grazing, the project will allow native flora and fauna to recover. Additionally, the restoration of habitats will help mitigate climate change impacts by creating resilient ecosystems capable of withstanding extreme weather events like droughts and floods.

The project has a strong community focus, engaging local people through a volunteer and engagement program. It aims to provide training to help develop new skills and potentially secure employment in the conservation sector. Volunteers will be involved in habitat management tasks such as tree planting, dry stone walling, and ecological monitoring. Collaboration with the National Trust, Forestry England, and the University of Leeds ensures the project benefits from a wealth of expertise and experience. The ultimate goal is to not only restore nature but also empower the local community, particularly in West Cumbria, by fostering engagement with the environment and offering new opportunities for skills development.

Project Officers:
Jack Hatton: [email protected]
Katherine Andrews: [email protected]

Our Funders:

This project is funded by the Copeland Community Fund, South Copeland GDF, and the Garfield Weston Foundation. Read more about the Copeland Community Fund here, and read and watch a short film about how they are supporting our project here. The film is full of lovely footage and features our project assistant Francesca, giving a great introduction to our work at Miterdale.