West Cumbrian secondary school transforms outdoor spaces with Raise: Cumbria Community Forest

Raise: Cumbria Community Forest have supported West Cumbrian secondary school, The Whitehaven Academy, to develop its vast outdoor spaces in a project that will enhance pupils’ health, well-being and learning outcomes for decades to come.

The 18-month project has seen Raise foresters work with the school’s eco-committee to co-design a multipurpose planting scheme which includes the creation of 7 hectares of woodland with 526 trees planted and an estimated 590 – 6500 trees naturally regenerated over the next 15 years. It also includes amenity tree planting to develop spaces for creative engagement, the establishment of a fruit orchard and a naturally recolonising ‘Cumbrian Savannah’.

Students also worked with The Knotted Project to create a short performance piece in response to their surroundings and their feelings about the environment.

Raise provided funding for the project through Trees for Climate, part of the government-led, Nature for Climate Fund.

The project has also been supported by internet broadband provider Fibrus, who donated trail cameras that will allow students to study the changing ecology of the site.

As well as improving biodiversity, the scheme will contribute to net zero and deliver long lasting opportunities for students to develop their understanding of the natural world.

Read our case study to find out more about this project.