9/11/2011 - Holme Park Quarry celebrates ten year anniversary

Local nature enthusiasts have been awarded for their photographic efforts to mark the ten year anniversary of a popular nature reserve.

Holme Park Quarry Local Nature Reserve (LNR) at Clawthorpe, South Cumbria is a small but important limestone habitat for butterflies and plants. It is managed by a Local Nature reserve Committee made up of local volunteers, with support from Cumbria County Council and Aggregate Industries.

The reserve is a key part of the limestone landscape that occupies the triangle of land between Burton-in-Kendal, Hutton Roof and Farleton. The quality of the limestone pavement, and the role of the sites for butterflies in particular, make this whole area significant for both wildlife and geology.

The land was designated as a Local Nature Reserve by Cumbria County Council in 2001 as part of a planning agreement with Aggregates Industries who operate Holme Park Quarry. To celebrate the ten year milestone, the reserve held a photography competition in conjunction with Holme and District Photographic Society. Visitors were challenged to take photographs of anything that inspired them to get snapping within the nature reserve.

Nearly 50 entries were received and Judges Kathleen Unsworth, LNR Committee member and Dave Marsden, Competition Secretary of the Holme and District Photographic Society, had the formidable task of selecting winning images.

The junior (under 15 years) prize was won by Erin Neesham of Holme, who found a colourful subject named "Fungus on Dead Wood".

For the adults category, the winners were – 1st place -  Tom Dale of Holme with "Cinnabar Moth Caterpillar" illustrating nature at work in consuming a ragwort plant.
2nd place - John Wright of Holme with "Colour Woodland" showing the rich greenery of the wooded limestone pavement.
3rd place - John Jackson of Burton with his "Autumn Beauty", a Red Admiral butterfly amidst the bracken, one of the most striking of the 25 species of butterflies recorded in the reserve.

Cllr Tim Knowles, cabinet member for Environment, said: “Holme Park Quarry Local Nature Reserve is very important both locally and in terms of conserving Cumbria’s wildlife and plants.

“We are half way through the planning agreement with Holme Park Quarry and it has been a fantastic partnership which has brought many benefits to Cumbria’s environment over the years.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the various volunteers who work at Holme Park Quarry Local Nature Reserve. The time and effort they put in during their own time is invaluable and the reserve would not be the same without these people.”

Judy Palmer, Cumbria County Council’s Ecologist, said: “The quality of photos was excellent; they captured the essence of the reserve, its intimacy and variety of wildlife. The organisers from the Holme and District Photographic Society and the Local Nature Reserve Management Committee were very pleased with the quality and varieties of entries.”

A competition album can be viewed in the photo gallery on the website at http://naturereserve.burtonweb.org.uk/photogallery.php?album_id=14

Media enquiries to communications adviser Charlotte Thompson on 01228 226325