My recent experience volunteering at the Liquorice Park community park was a great opportunity which I enjoyed thoroughly and an eye opener to the importance of community driven activities, especially involving nature. I found out about the park through their website when I was looking for something I could get involved in which includes my love for the outdoors and the natural world. However, I also discovered an enjoyment for other things whilst at the park such as the benefits of community and how community and nature work as one.
Nothing hit me more than the sense of welcome I felt from all of the busy working volunteers. Community is at the heart of everything that takes place in the park and it’s no wonder the herb garden, where everybody generally congregates, has been fittingly addressed by some as “a place for healing”. Personally, I found it rewarding to know I was doing something that actually makes a difference and like any project it’s exciting to think of where it’ll go into the future. No matter who you are, there is a place for reflection but also a place where you can see your hard work grow into something the whole community can appreciate.
As well as community, biodiversity was something I observed as an important part of the park. The park is teaming with all sorts of life due to the balanced approach to management where a lot of the plants are left to grow out and habitats are given time to develop. Environmentally, the park is a key corridor for wildlife in the urban space of the city and provides a place of refuge for all types of species of fauna.
I’m currently a student in Lincoln studying Geography with an interest in biodiversity and how we can use spaces in urban areas to increase both fauna and flora. I’m aiming to try and document what I come across in the park on a regular basis in order to demonstrate what wonderful things the park can achieve.
George Denver
May 2021
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