2023 Awards

CPRE GLOUCESTERSHIRE AWARDS 2023

Five projects across Gloucestershire have received the CPRE Gloucestershire Award for demonstrating excellence in enhancing the county’s environment and the life of its communities.

Sponsored this year by Loxley Solicitors, CPRE Gloucestershire, The Countryside Charity, has been celebrating innovative and sustainable projects across the country for the past sixteen years. During this time, a total of ninety local initiatives have been presented with the CPRE Gloucestershire Award.

The awards recognise and celebrate projects in towns, villages, and the countryside, that make an outstanding contribution to the county. Previous recipients include an affordable housing project at Northleach, the STILH Treetop Walkway at Westonbirt Arboretum and Bledington Community Shop and Café.

Recipients celebrated their achievement at a ceremony at the Gambier Parry Hall in Higham on 14^th November, presented by CPRE Gloucestershire’s new President, writer, and broadcaster Madeleine Bunting.

2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS

Love Your Cinderford Brook

Love your Cinderford Brook is a demonstration project by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust showcasing natural solutions to mitigating flood risk. Rain gardens have been installed at locations in the centre of Cinderford and hard paving has been replaced with soil and planting, storing water during storm events, slowing the flow of water, and reducing run off and contamination from pollutants. Wildlife has benefited too from habitat creation.

Citation: For demonstrating to the residents of Cinderford small scale natural solutions to mitigate the risk of flooding using rain gardens and removing paving, encouraging similar actions in their own houses and work places.

Rewild Things at Elmore Court Estate

At Elmore Court a substantial tract of farmland is undergoing rewilding and six contemporary, stylish, and highly energy efficient treehouses have been built high in the canopy on the edge of woodland directly overlooking the rewilding to enable guests to become immersed in their environment.  The rewilding is making a valuable contribution to nature recovery and is contributing to the viability of the estate through the innovative tree houses.

Citation: For restoring biodiversity through rewilding and building stylish treehouses for staying guests, designed to the highest standards of sustainable construction, from which the rewilding can be supported and enjoyed.

Stroud Landscape Project Conservation Grazing

20 years ago, the National Trust purchased six belted Galloway cattle to graze several of their sites.  Now incorporated into the Stroud Landscape Project, last year the herd had grown to over 100 cattle enabling 284 hectares to be grazed across 22 sites, including five National Nature Reserves, nine SSSIs and five commons with two thirds managed by landowners other than the National Trust.  The outcome is a notable improvement in biodiversity.

Citation: In recognition of achievements to protect and increase the biodiversity of limestone grassland sites in the Stroud area through conservation grazing in partnerships with landowners and the support of local communities and volunteers.

The Nest

75 years ago, Sir Peter Scott founded the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust creating the centre at Slimbridge. ‘The Nest’ is a splendid sculpture on the A38 roundabout.  It is a permanent reminder of the wealth of wildlife at Slimbridge and in the Severn Estuary, and the need for its conservation.  Ideas were submitted by Slimbridge Primary School after a competition and worked up and implemented by award-winning metal sculptor Ian Gill.

Citation: For the creation of an imaginative public sculpture on the approach to the Slimbridge Wetland Centre highlighting its vital role in wildlife conservation.

Wye Invasive Species Project

In the Lower Wye Valley three invasive non-native plants – Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and American Skunk Cabbage – are spreading, damaging the area’s biodiversity.  Set up in 2020 by the Wye Valley AONB Unit, the Invasive Species project is encouraging landowners, community groups and contractors to work together at scale to tackle the problem.  This is an ambitious project which is a national model of what can be achieved through collaboration.

Citation: For providing a model for taking positive action in tackling the major problem of non-native species invasion in our countryside.