Thirlmere Resilience Partnership update

Four years into our partnership with Cumbria Wildlife Trust, United Utilities and Natural England in the Lake District, Project Officer Isaac Johnston shares some highlights and future plans.

Formed in 2020, the Thirlmere Resilience Partnership aims to deliver more for people and nature, while promoting sustainable farming across the Thirlmere catchment. The overarching goal is to create a more resilient catchment, better equipped to withstand the effects of climate change and secure better raw water quality.

We are making good progress achieving our ambitions and objectives at Thirlmere. Since spring 2023 we have held 19 work parties engaging a total of 83 volunteers with the project. Volunteers have helped plant trees, remove non-native plants and various other tasks to help nature thrive in this wild place.

We have good links with local colleges, universities and young ranger groups and have facilitated educational visits for 60 students who learnt about Thirlmere Resilience and protecting wild places. Engaging the people and the local community with wild places is in the DNA of the Trust, and our work at Thirlmere is achieving this in the heart of the Lake District.

Delivering practical conservation work is a key part of our involvement at Thirlmere. Since 2020 our volunteers have helped plant over 4,000 trees to help increase native woodland cover, improve biodiversity and improve the water quality in the area. Our plans are to continue planting trees across the site and create a tree nursery at the south end of the reservoir. This will not only serve as an engagement tool, but also produce locally propagated trees and flowers for planting out across the site.

The Thirlmere resilience project has huge potential to deliver for the John Muir Trust and other partners long into the future and we are hopeful we can continue to support our strategy to deliver the three freedoms in this iconic part of the Lake District.