Pupils take a look at park life

Pupils from Beech House School take a closer look at nature at Mandale Park

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An environmental project in Mandale Park is creating a haven for animal and plant life just minutes away from Rochdale town centre.

Youngsters from Beech House School have already been at the site as part of a nature project. They were also shown some traditional woodcraft skills by volunteers from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

The council’s Environmental Management service is working with Rochdale’s local education partnership inspiredspaces, construction company Carillion and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust on the scheme which has already seen the creation of several ponds to provide a habitat for a range of aquatic life.

Carillion has provided a £5,000 grant from its Natural Habitats Fund to support the project to create a pond area and wetlands habitat within the park, following a successful funding application led by the Rochdale local education partnership team.

As part of long term plans to have Mandale Park designated as a Local Nature Reserve by English Nature, much of the grass at the former landfill site is being left to grow to create meadows that will attract birds and insects.

Fittingly for a venture taking place in the World Capital of Co-operatives during the International Year of Co-operatives, the work has been a real team effort.

The council’s Green Volunteers, Carillion apprentices, pupils from Beech House and Redwood schools, Lancashire Wildlife Trust and local contractors JA Yates and Kaberry - working with Carillion on Rochdale’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) project - are among those who have been involved.

As well as providing a natural oasis for the borough’s residents to enjoy, the park will also bring educational benefits with pupils able to study a range of flora and fauna up close.