Fiona Hanlon
'Olive Way is now literally blooming, buzzing, fluttering and tweeting, a haven full of birds, bees, insects, flowers and fruit!'
Fiona Hanlon
Fiona Hanlon transformed a drab, neglected pathway behind her house into a wildlife haven, inspiring other local residents to get involved, too. Olive Way is now a path to be proud of, inviting for both people and wildlife, and Fiona has since become Councillor Hanlon, having been elected to South Lakeland District Council at the end of 2021.
Here's more from Fiona:
I started rescuing Olive Way five years ago when I moved into my house, which backs onto it.
The path runs from the promenade to Berners Close car park and is named after Olive Robinson, wife of Cedric Robinson, the former Queen’s Guide to the Sands.
It’s the main path to Grange Promenade but had become overgrown and full of rubbish. I didn’t want that to be visitors’ first impressions of Grange, so I decided to tidy the steep area behind our houses.
My first action was to fund and plant a range of pollinator-friendly, bird-friendly and scented plants that would make it both attractive and beneficial for wildlife, year-round.
As a result, a local councillor suggested I apply for a grant to expand the area I was working on.
During autumn lockdown 2020, Grange Town Council, Grange Lions & Grange Chamber of Trade all contributed to fund wildflower seed to start a meadow next to the banking I’d tidied.
They funded bluebells, snowdrops and wild daffodils for the entrance to the lane, which I cleared to create a pretty spring walk through the orchard.
Fiona Hanlon
Fiona Hanlon
Fiona Hanlon
Fiona Hanlon
Olive Way is now literally blooming, buzzing, fluttering and tweeting, a haven full of birds, bees, insects, flowers and fruit!
My latest addition is a drought-tolerant prairie garden, connecting the wildflower meadow area to the woodland walk.
This winter’s project has been to create a wildlife pond, because I found frogs in the undergrowth looking for a home!
The local school and Mi-Newts nursery helped to sow the wildflower meadow, and other local people have helped me out, too. They’ve tidied, brought along plants and even delivered local horse manure for fertiliser.
It’s become a real community project that everyone using Olive Way now enjoys, including thousands of visitors from towns and cities without access to wild areas.
The number of species of bees and butterflies has greatly increased, and we even have two on the at risk list, the small blue and small heath.
The best news is that our Olive Way biodiversity corridor is now going to be protected as a green space and South Lakeland District Council will help to maintain it in the future as the fitting and even better tribute to Olive and Cedric Robinson it was designed to be.
Learn how to grow a wild patch or mini meadow
Discover the best plants for bees and pollinators