New Henllan Community nature space takes shape

Features have been added to a new Henllan area to help support both nature and the community.

Work is progressing at the Henllan Community Nature Space which began life back in the Spring of this year.

The area is one of four new community nature spaces – alongside similar areas at Rhyl, St Asaph and Clocaenog – that Denbighshire County Council’s Countryside Service and Climate Change teams are creating in the county this year to boost benefits for both local wildlife and residents’ wellbeing.

The Community Nature Spaces work alongside woodland creation work this year at schools across the county has received funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Breathing life into the site, Ysgol Henllan pupils joined with Denbighshire Countryside Service rangers and volunteers to shape the new nature site at land behind Meifod Road by helping to plant over 1,700 trees.

Work has now been completed on the central pond on the site which has been lined, fenced off and is now collecting water.

The surrounding sculpted banks and hibernacula have been dressed with clean soil imported from another of the Community Nature Space sites

Stone surfaced footpaths are also now in place on the sites and an additional shallow wetland feature between the site entrance and future woodland glade that formed during the earthworks has been retained and adopted into the scheme.

Picnic tables and benches have been installed on the site and work on an outdoor classroom is nearing completion.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “It is great to see this site developing well after all the work the pupils and volunteers put in to plant the trees.

“The area will become a fantastic place for local residents young and old to enjoy and learn from wildlife on the land and bring other benefits including improved air quality, urban heat cooling and opportunities to support community physical and mental wellbeing.”