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Ten years of blood, sweat and just a few
tears
The Kentish Stour Countryside Project is now over 10
years old! The main aim of the KSCP is to improve landscape quality and
wildlife habitat. The Project also encourages more access to green space
and provides interpretation and in doing so generates public enjoyment,
encourages learning, and economic investment in the area.
Volunteers have been fundamental to the success of the
KSCP and over the 10 years lifetime of the Project over 12,000 volunteer
workdays have been committed! The KSCP does not own any land and generates
its success through working in partnership with many organisations,
landowners and local communities. Most work is based on trust and this has
lead to many achievements some of which are listed below: |
1994 - Pond work
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 | 111 ponds created or managed |
| over 17 miles of hedgerow planted |
| 24,658 trees planted as standards, thickets or
woodland |
| 230 acres of arable land returned to wet pasture or
neutral/chalk grassland |
| 80 miles of 6 metre arable margins created (these are
margins at the edge of arable fields which have been sown with native
grasses and wildflowers) |
| 5 miles of ditches restored |
| 40 river based conservation projects |
| development of recreation routes such as the Stour
Valley Walk, Elham Valley Way and the Crab and Winkle Way |
| creation of Stour Valley Arts |
| major surveys of ditches, ponds, crayfish, otters and
water voles |
| 60 community projects |
| designation of 4 Local Nature Reserves and the
creation of the Ashford Green Corridor Project |
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1998 - Hedgelaying
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Some of the above work has been achieved
through the KSCP promoting conservation schemes such as Countryside
Stewardship - helping landowners to make applications to the scheme and in
some cases supervising/carrying out the work. Work with local community
groups and Parish Councils has also been fundamental to the success of the
project.
During the ten years blood has occasionally been spilt,
a great deal of hard work has taken place - especially by our volunteers,
but gratefully very few tears have been spilt. So a big thank you to the
volunteers, supporting organisations, farmers and landowners, staff, and
community groups for all the successes we have had since 1993.
Jon Shelton, Countryside Manager |
2002 - Barn owl box installation
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