Evidence from the last 50 years suggests that the UK’s pollinating insect populations have fallen by 50% or more.

The primary cause of the decline in wild bees and other pollinating insects is the loss of flower rich habitat (source: Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs).

Building on the work of the Get Cumbria Buzzing! project, Cumbria Wildlife Trust developed the Planting for Pollinators project, funded by the Cumberland and the Westmorland and Furness Councils.

The Planting for Pollinators project aims to reverse pollinator decline in Cumbria and thanks to this new funding we are carrying out pollinator friendly works in Barrow, South Lakeland and Copeland areas of Cumbria, creating pollinator friendly habitats in community spaces.

Starting in summer 2023 Cumbria Wildlife Trust's aim has been to create or restore approximately 9 hectares of habitat across 25 different sites, completing by April 2024.

Pollinator-friendly habitats include hedges, species rich grassland, scrub, deadwood, banks, glades, flower rich gardens and woodland glades/rides.

One of the restored sites is native woodland at School Knott, Windermere. The site is found on the busy walking route from Staveley to Windermere and as you drop into Windermere, you pass through School Knott Community woodland.

The site was originally deforested for war efforts, then became grazing land, before being replanted by the local community in the new millennium. The site was nominated to be a Planting for Pollinators project by the Westmorland and Furness council.

Following local surveys, Cumbria Wildlife Trust conservation officers created a restoration plan to design glades and rides that will increase the wildlife value of the new woodland, particularly for bats, birds, butterflies and other insects.

The aim is to offer sheltered space that can support a range of habitats and plant communities. For example, woodland butterflies rely on sheltered sunlit rides and glades, with plentiful supply of larval plants and nectar producing flowers.

Scalloping the edges prevents rides from becoming wind tunnels, thereby slowing the wind and allowing butterflies to forage. To achieve this the established closed canopy woodland will be supplemented by woodland/scrub edge, tall grasses, wildflowers areas and short turf.

The conservation officers will draw up a 10 year management plan for School Knott to help the council manage the glades and rides, to ensure they remain open and structurally diverse. The site will develop into an important pollinator habitat for years to come.

Plug plants were used to introduce greater diversity into existing grasslands at tree boundaries. Using plugs, rather than sowing seed, ensures a higher percentage of plants establishing in the glades and rides.

The Planting for Pollinators projects team chose species that were locally occurring naturally around School Knott. Selecting a good range of small trees and shrubs to plant along the woodland edge is crucial for structural diversity.

The survey recorded what species were growing locally and calculated the planting percentage of the tree/shrub mix.

The plant plugs used were: common dog violet, marsh marigold, primrose, wood avens, foxglove, devil’s bit scabious, yellow flag iris and cow parsley whilst bulbs of English bluebell, wild daffodil, wild garlic and wood anemone were also planted in the scalloped areas.

The 2100 plugs and 1100 bulbs were sourced from Naturescape and Cumbria Wildflowers, although plants for other project sites are supplied by Cumbria Wildlife Trust nursery at Gosling Sike.

The plugs were planted in clumps of 6-10 of the same species per square metre.  'How to plant out wildflower plug plants to create a wildflower meadow or garden'  (via YouTube) by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

The 650 bare rooted shrubs and trees were sourced from Cumbria Tree Growers, and included spindle, dog rose, hawthorn, crab apple, guelder rose and in particularly wet areas, alder buckthorn.

Bare-root shrubs are best planted over winter months, when the ground is moist, which allows the bare roots the best chance to establish before the spring when their leaves will begin to develop.

Trees were transported in bags to keep roots moist. Trees were planted using the ‘notch planting’ technique, spaced about 1-2m apart. Find out more about 'How to notch plant a barerooted tree' (via YouTube) 

Like all Cumbria Wildlife Trust projects, this event would not happen without the help of our wonderful volunteers. This session was attended by a working party of 31 adults and 5 children; the School Knott Community Group including Debbie Binch who was instrumental in getting the project to this stage, representatives from community groups like the ‘Windermere Food Growing Group’, local primary school children, and Cumbria Wildlife Trust volunteers & staff.

They were all equipped and supplied with shrubs, plug plants and biscuits by the Planting for Pollinator conservation officers Caitlin Fox and Charlotte Rankin.