Offer to get involved with the design of Long Lands Common in Harrogate

The public are being invited to get involved with the design of Harrogate's first community-owned woodland.
Some of the Long Lands Common team of volunteers at the site between Harrogate and Knaresborough. (Picture by Bruce Rollinson)Some of the Long Lands Common team of volunteers at the site between Harrogate and Knaresborough. (Picture by Bruce Rollinson)
Some of the Long Lands Common team of volunteers at the site between Harrogate and Knaresborough. (Picture by Bruce Rollinson)

Places are still available for you to sign up for a series of Permaculture Design workshops as the Long Lands Common volunteer team seeks to turn the historic, environmentally-important project into a reality.

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Led by Nidd Gorge Community Action, which set up a Community Benefit Society, the Long Lands Common campaign raised nearly an incredible £350,000 in just six months last year as more than 3,000 people put their hands in their own pocket for the Community Shares offer.

Located on 30 acres of greenbelt land near Nidd Gorge between Harrogate and Knaresborough, the process of turning the site into woodland and a place of ecological education everyone can enjoy will be a lengthy one.

This year has seen ecologists surveying the site for existing flora and fauna, while volunteers have been busy plotting out and planning the main access paths for visitors.

The ultimate goal of Long Lands Common is to create:

Woodland with open areas

A native arboretum and Tree Cathedral

Marshy areas and pond

A children’s wood

An educational area

The current series of informal workshops will be an opportunity to meet other members, hear about the design progress so far, learn about the basic ethics and principles of Permaculture Design and contribute ideas for the final design plan.

No prior knowledge or experience is needed.

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If demand is high there is a possibility that further dates may be added.

The Long Lands Common Permaculture Design workshop dates are:

Sunday, December 5, 9am to 1pm

Saturday, December 11, 9am to 1pm

The workshops will start and finish at Dene Park Community Centre in Woodfield in Harrogate and include a visit to Long Lands Common - a 10 minute walk away along the Nidderdale Greenway.

All participants will get the opportunity to apply their learning and contribute design ideas, with a particular focus on the possibilities for the human spaces.

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Numbers are limited by the size of the venue to 30 people per session and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Refreshments will be served at the community centre. Participants are asked to bring warm clothes and outdoor footwear.

To cover costs, the Long Lands Common team are asking participants to make a donation on the day.

To book a place and select a workshop date, fill in and submit the Permaculture Workshop Booking form at www.longlandscommon.org

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