Arlesey Conservation For Nature – 21 Years
The Origins Of Acorn
Back in 1990, an influential Countryside Survey by the Department of
Environment raised national awareness of the dramatic decline in meadow
and hedgerow habitat for our wildlife. People were increasingly realising that
Conservation wasn’t just about exotic animals in far-away places – much of
our local wildlife was under threat too.
A couple of years later, the Ivel Valley Project was launched, with the
aim of enhancing the meadows and countryside along the River Ivel. Local
resident Geoff Page contacted the Project Officer Joel Carre to persuade
him to include the River Hiz within the project, recognising the potential
to improve areas like the Mill Pits. Encouraged by Joel, Geoff decided to
follow up the idea he had been thinking about for a while – of starting a
local Conservation Group in Arlesey. And so on the 9th June 1993, he and
a few other local enthusiasts held a public meeting at the Mallard Pub, and
ACORN was born. Jim Bowskill was elected the first Chairman, with Geoff
Page as Secretary.
The early links to the Ivel Valley Project helped to encourage landowner
Mr Murchie to put the Mill Pits into the Countryside Stewardship scheme,
with improvements carried out along the riverside. The footpath behind
Amenity Trees was also identified as an issue to be addressed.
Two other initiatives in the early 90s helped to give focus to the newly
formed ACORN group. Local mineral industries were working with
Groundworks to give something back to the community via the Arlesey
Plants Project. ACORN was a natural partner to work with, helping to identify
and plant areas incuding in Gothic Mead school and around the community
centre. The installation of the village pump was also funded by this initiative.
Around the same time centra