TEP’s Landscape Managers have produced a Landscape Management Plan for Groundwork, to help focus volunteering efforts at one of their sites in Manchester. Groundwork is a charity working locally and nationally to transform lives in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. They manage several green spaces across the city region, which includes Trafford Ecology Park, an 11-acre wildlife oasis and registered Site of Biological Importance.
Trafford Ecology Park was originally part of the Trafford family country estate but is now tucked away in the heart of Europe’s largest industrial estate. Surrounded by industry, the park provides welcome green relief in this predominately urban and industrial area.
The park contains a multitude of habitats, ranging from a lake, ponds, pine and deciduous woodland, wetland, wildflower meadow, grassland and hedgerows. The wildflower meadow, wet meadow and pond habitats provide excellent areas for educational and outdoor activities. The park is also home to We Are Adventurers, Altrincham and District Angling Club and a Forest School, perfect for young people to immerse themselves in outdoor learning.
Groundwork relies heavily on volunteers to maintain the park and over the years some of the habitat areas have deteriorated. In addition, there have been significantly fewer volunteering opportunities and less management of habitats due to the pandemic. This has led to scrub encroaching into several areas of the park, such as the wildflower meadow and wetland grassland habitats.
As part of our pro-bono commitments, TEP’s landscape management and ecology teams worked with Groundwork to provide a guide for management operations for the existing habitats and an action plan to manage key habitats back to their optimum state. The plan also enables Groundwork to focus volunteer work, as soon as they can welcome volunteers back to the site.
As a leading national environmental consultancy, TEP is committed to creating special places for people, business and wildlife. As part of our corporate and social responsibilities, TEP gives skill and expertise freely to projects and activities that align with the vision and ethos of the company. Examples of this include professional advice to charities, supporting schemes that require assessments (such as Green Flag Award) and contributing to higher education teaching.
If you want more information about TEP’s pro-bono work or landscape management please contact landscapemanagement@tep.uk.com or discover more from the team here.
For more information about volunteering opportunities with Groundwork click here.
