Castle is Latest Wildlife Haven In Council Rewilding Scheme

Over the past two years, a section of the former pitch and putt site on the Edisford riverbank in Clitheroe has been returned to its natural uncultivated state, allowing wildflowers and grasses to flourish, and the habits of mammals and insects to be restored.

And now a patch of parkland at Clitheroe Castle is to become a haven for wildflowers, butterflies and pollinating insects, in the next stage of Ribble Valley Borough Council’s rewilding scheme.

Rewilding is the practice of reinstating natural habitats and restoring biodiversity, including where appropriate missing species.
It reconnects people with nature, sustains communities and tackles the climate change and extinction emergencies.

It is enthusiastically supported by top environmentalists, including Sir David Attenborough, who recently called on the global population to ‘rewild the world’ to restore the planet’s stability.

Ricky Newmark, chairman of Ribble Valley Borough Council's community services committee said: “There is a lot of focus on looking after the planet and tackling climate change at the moment and one way of doing this is by rewilding.

“Rewilding restores natural habitats and gives biodiversity a boost, not just animals and plants, but also microorganisms, such as bacteria.

“Each of these species and organisms work together in sophisticated ecosystems to support life on earth and the healthier the ecosystems the healthier the planet.

“Our rewilding sites feature cut paths and are situated next or close to hard paths, so that all residents and visitors, including wheelchair and pushchair-users, can enjoy nature and see for themselves over the coming months and years what becomes established.

“This scheme is enabling us to protect and enhance the environmental quality of our area, one of the council’s key priorities, and we will be rewilding further sites in the future.”