The surrounds of the Visitor Centre at Radipole have undergone a rapid transformation, Ground Force style (only better!), with not a pagoda, geranium, Dimmock or Titchmarsh in sight! The tatty area besides the bridge onto the reserve has been 'made over' and now boasts a smart decked platform, which rather than the duck feeding platform it was designed as, I prefer to view as Radipole’s lobby.
As well as immeasurably improving the overall aesthetic, the duck feeding platform will enable us to get across important messages about the health implications to swans and ducks of feeding bread and the impact it can have on water quality, to name but two.
Above monday morning, below thursday lunchtime.
From the V.C. patio this rather natty pond dipping platform sits, which will offer a fun educational area to enthuse and impassion the next generation of wildlife fanatics and/or conservationists.
Yaz and Lynnette, (two of Arne's star volunteers conscripted for the day to help Anne and I load and move +/- 10 tons of path gravel) testing the platform.
Much thanks for the realisation of these improvements must go to Natural England for recognising the value of Radipole for its ‘engagement potential’ and funding the construction through their ‘Higher Level Environmental Stewardship’ scheme. Also thanks to our own Mark Singleton for project managing the scheme from beginning to realisation. Mark’s masterstroke was in contracting Russell Bowlby and his ‘Flights of Fantasy’ crew who built the structures and then erected them in just three and a half – albeit long – days.
For more information on the interesting works undertaken by Russell and his able men click on the link below – for a change it would appear we are on the low end of the weirdness scale!
http://www.flightsoffantasy.co.uk/index.html
The proof of the platform is in the feeding...
The ducks certainly haven't any cause to complain now they have their brand new feeding platform!
I think it's a big improvement and will be well used by ducks and all.
Seize the day!