Taking restoration to new heights at Thirlmere

With fence materials delivered by helicopter and volunteers ready to plant native trees, the Thirlmere Resilience Project is taking steps towards restoring native woodland.

Our Thirlmere Resilience Partnership Officer Isaac was on hand last Saturday as fence parts were transported by helicopter to Combe Crags at Thirlmere.

The fence, which is expected to be 450m-650m long, has to be transported in pieces to its destination, ready to be assembled by local contractors. The purpose of the fence is to establish a montane scrub exclosure where native mountain woodland species are able to thrive.

Montane willow, birch, aspen and a variety of wildflowers are to be carried up by Thirlmere Resilience Project partners and local volunteers in due course to be planted on the steep slopes around Thirlmere. The plants are currently being nurtured at West Head Nursery, where we established beds in May 2024 and erected a polytunnel in November of that year. 

The Trust has engaged 176 people in the Thirlmere Resilience Project since autumn 2020, planting approximately 4,800 trees around Wythburn Beck.

Alongside our partners United Utilities and Cumbria Wildlife Trust, our goal is to create a more resilient catchment for water quality and improve biodiversity in a 40 square kilometre site at Thirlmere.

• Want to volunteer at Thirlmere? Find a volunteering day here