Art Gene has been working with Cumbria Wildlife Trust for the past two years to develop a project to engage more people with the natural environment at the South Walney Nature Reserve, one of 43 reserves the Wildlife Trust manage throughout Cumbria.
Due to support from Arts Council England and WREN, Cumbria Wildlife Trust has now commissioned Art Gene to design a new plan for the site: a ‘Master plan’ for the South Walney Reserve which will include unique features designed by Art Gene’s resident artists. The ‘Master Plan’ will include the history of the site and its former uses, as well as a new plan for the future. They will also design and construct two innovative, sustainable structures on the Reserve to act as hides, education spaces, family visitor facilities and tourist attractions.
We want to involve the local community in helping with the master planning process and to contribute to the design of the two installations which will finally be installed on site with the assistance of the South Walney site warden.
Art Gene will be hosting three community consultation events which we would like to invite you to attend. At the events, you’ll be able to come and share with us your ideas, histories and thoughts and provide us with advice and guidance on how the site can be best developed. For instance, do you have memories, old photos, local knowledge of the wildlife, the Lighthouse, Hilpsford Fort, salt works, oyster farm, gravel pits or the reserve as it was in the past that you would be happy to share with us? We’ll be consulting the wider community on what it thinks the greatest assets of the site are, and how can they be developed and preserved for the wider community.
Dr Nick Owen MBE PLUS 