News Release - Trafford launches Action for Nature awards

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Trafford launches Action for Nature awards

21 April 2004

Local families, community grounds, friends groups, schools and anyone else interested in doing their bit to improve the local environment are being urged to take part in this year's 'Action for Nature Awards'.

The awards are about getting involved in helping wildlife and supporting nature. They form a major part in the Borough's 'Trafford in Bloom' entry into this year's prestigious North West in Bloom competition organised by the Royal Horticultural Society. Action for Nature is a joint initiative between Mersey Valley Warden Service, Bollin Valley Partnership, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Groundwork Manchester, Salford and Trafford, Red Rose Forest and the Council.

As well as encouraging improvements to the local environment, the award aims to raise awareness and knowledge of nature conservation, encourage people to have a sense of pride in their local environment and create new nature areas, or improve existing ones.

Trafford in Bloom Coordinator Mark Brazil said he was sure the awards would appeal to many people who already take a keen interest in projects of all shapes and sizes.

"Action for Nature gives people the opportunity to have their innovative conservation projects recognised. It doesn't matter if it is a major scheme or a small scale project to plant butterfly attracting plants and shrubs, create a pond or a wildlife garden."

"The criteria is simple, all people have to do is show how they have improved and enhanced existing areas to encourage wildlife or designed and created new ones. These can be in private gardens, or in public open spaces. I am sure, given the enormous efforts and commitment there is to protect wildlife across the Borough that the awards will appeal to significant numbers of people."

"I am really looking forward to finding out just how many ways people have found to encourage wildlife and improve the environment. I am sure judging the winners will be an extremely difficult task for the judges, but one they are all looking forward to," he said.

But it's not just tree and shrub planting schemes that are eligible to enter. Projects which provide bird boxes and feeding stations or create habitat mounts, wildlife ponds and wetland areas, as well as sensory gardens and wild flower and bulb planting projects can also be judged.

As well as meeting the specific criteria, the successful projects are likely to be those that have looked at ways of using composted green waste to provide soil for the plants or given specific thought to planting suitable plant and tree species for the environmental conditions. 'Green' schemes, which aim to protect wildlife by avoiding using slug pellets, pesticides and herbicides will also score high points.

"The judges will be looking for that 'wow' factor from easily maintainable, sustainable projects which benefit not just local people but wildlife and their habitats. All in all we are looking for the best of our many 'green' projects which so many people get involved in. We want as many people as possible to be challenging for these awards. It isn't necessarily the size of the project which will determine the success, but the thought that has gone into it and the impact the work has over a long period of time," said Mr Brazil.

All projects entered into the awards must have been implemented between July 2003 and June 2004. Entrants should, wherever possible have been involved in every aspect of the scheme from design through to implementation and future management.

Only one entry is allowed for each project and the Council has the right to photograph and publish all entries.

All entries will received a certificate and wildlife gardening book. The best entries in Sale, Stretford, Urmston and Altrincham will all receive prizes of a season ticket to the National Wildflower Centre in Liverpool.

Entry forms are available from libraries, Council offices and local schools, by telephoning 0161 912 5569 or by logging on to www.traffordinbloom.org.uk to download a copy. All entries must submitted by Friday, 4 June.

To find out more about the 'Action for Nature' awards, contact Lindsey Howard on 0161 912 5599.