We’re delighted to say we’ve got a new Site Manager at the helm, Glen Swainson. He’s just three months into his role, so we thought it was time to introduce him properly and his ambitious plans for Wild Haweswater.
Glen comes to head up our team, following a stint as Site Manager at RSPB Geltsdale near Brampton, before which he spent over two decades at Natural England, working with farmers to help improve wildlife opportunities on their farms. He also has a wealth of experience in working on National Nature Reserves at Gaitbarrows in Lancashire and Roudsea in South Cumbria. His love of wildlife though, started from an early age, growing up on his family farm in North Cumbria.
“I always knew that I wanted to work in nature conservation when I was older. Growing up on a farm has given me a deep appreciation of farming culture and how hard farmers work, that every farm has the potential to do something positive for wildlife whether big or small (and my family certainly do on our dairy farm). During my career in conservation I have worked in different places in England, but being able to come home to Cumbria to work here has been a dream come true. Particularly to help nature recover on a landscape scale, in my home county where I grew up, that I have a deep connection to, is important to me.”
– Glen Swainson, new RSPB Site Manager for Wild Haweswater
Glen, who has taken over from our previous Site Manager, Lee Schofield (who left in March this year) hopes to continue delivering ambitious plans for this site and beyond.
A new large-scale native tree planting scheme will begin here this winter, to extend the temperate rainforest of Naddle Forest, a rare habitat type that was once common across Britain, but now sadly only fragments are left.
The tree planting scheme will involve 16,500 trees being planted or protected over the next three years, including native species such as Sessile Oak, Rowan, and Juniper. The work will be funded by DEFRA through a Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
Our tree nursery has also recently been extended to double the size, making it the largest native tree and plant nursery in the Lake District, where a small team of our staff and volunteers grow all the trees and plants needed to plant back into the landscape for the new scheme and more, restoring what has been lost in previous decades.
“I’m looking forward to leading the ground-breaking conservation work here at Wild Haweswater. By protecting temperate rainforest, restoring upland plants and returning natural processes, Wild Haweswater is a place where wildlife can thrive; from Red Squirrels to Salmon, to Pied Flycatchers, rare lichens, and the recently recolonised Marsh Fritillary butterfly, this mountainous landscape holds a richness of life.”
“England’s temperate rainforests are precious, and we need to do all we can to restore and protect them for future generations. They are wet wonderful places, full of life. And not only that they are a great store of carbon. So, I’m looking forward to working with our partners on this ambitious new tree planting project.”
– Glen
We’re growing 30,000 plants, of about 50 different native species in our tree and plant nursery. We’ve planted around 200,000 native trees since we took on the tenancies of the two farms here in our partnership with our landlord United Utilities in 2011. We’ve restored 200 hectares of peat bog, helping to capture carbon, re-wiggled 1 km of river, and revived 30 hectares of species-rich wildflower hay meadow. Our nature-friendly farming operation using native breed livestock, supports our conservation aims through grazing.
A big part of the role involves leading our team of 18 staff – an increase from just four when the Wild Haweswater project began, and around 40 passionate volunteers. Events and experiences for the public will be expanded too, along with knowledge sharing with those from across the agriculture, water, and conservation sectors.
We’re also part of two ambitious landscape programmes, that extend beyond Wild Haweswater’s borders, (Lake District Eastern Fells and Cumbria Connect). Working with neighbouring farmers and landowners, these projects are creating a connected corridor of land from Penrith to Kendal, delivering benefits to wildlife by creating and enhancing habitats, as well as benefits to society by improving drinking water quality, storing carbon in the fight against climate change and helping to reduce flood and drought risk.
“We don’t really think of having rainforests in this country but due to our warm, wet temperate climate, they once covered much larger areas of the UK. Naddle Forest at Wild Haweswater is one of the fragments we have left so it’s crucial to protect and enhance it.
“By planting trees to extend the remaining woodland, we’re creating future rainforest, which has multiple benefits. Haweswater reservoir supplies over 2 million people in Cumbria and the Northwest with their daily drinking water, so the trees help provide natural filtration to improve the water quality.”
– Andrew Wright, United Utilities’ Woodland Officer in Cumbria
Work also began earlier this year to restore the Spinning Barn at Wild Haweswater, so thanks to funding from FCC Communities Foundation and private donors, it is underway and is due to be completed in 2025. Once complete it will provide a community space for local people and events, as well as a science lab.
Discover more about the work of the RSPB and United Utilities at Wild Haweswater here: wildhaweswater.co.uk
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– Blog by Annabel Rushton, RSPB People and Partnerships Manager at Wild Haweswater
Image credits: First – Glen Swainson next to Naddle Forest. Second – Glen checking on how a previously planted Alder is getting on. Third – Glen having a go at potting up in the nursery. All taken by People and Partnerships Manager Annabel. Fourth – the beautiful temperate rainforest of Naddle Forest, taken by Mark Williamson Photography.
