Big Community Challenge 2022 – Green Corridors!

This year’s Big Community Challenge was focused on creating green corridors in the West of York, and it was a great success! Around 200 volunteers worked across 12 sites, linking together three local schools (Carr Junior, Woodthorpe, and Westfield School), independent living communities (Gale Farm Court), and multiple local green spaces. Thank you to all the volunteers and community partners who helped make this possible!

 

Firstly, we should explain what a green corridor is. Creating green corridors is about making our green spaces work better for both humans and the local wildlife. It involves linking up green spaces, and making those that already exist more accessible for the wildlife. This involves planting wildflowers, cutting back invasive species of plant, and introducing bug friendly patches. Our volunteers went into these green spaces, and had a great impact, improving the local environment and supporting local wildlife.

 

However, in order for this project to have a lasting impact, it was important to create a legacy of care for green spaces. We achieved this through our work in the three local schools. We worked closely with Christine Banham, a forest school practitioner, to improve the outside learning environment for the students. This had a two-folded impact: it enabled the students to learn more effectively about the environment in their outdoor classrooms thanks to new wildlife areas and seating spaces, and also the volunteers were fantastic role models for the students, with their hard work supporting outside areas entrenching a newfound respect for green spaces in the students.

 

Overall, it was a fantastic month, through rain and shine our volunteers’ positive attitude always shone through. Thank you to everyone who took part, volunteers are the heart of York Cares, and as always you were fantastic, York would not be the same without you!