Friends of Cark Station are hoping for another year of success as Cumbria in Bloom begins judging for the 2022 season. Last year the Friends group were recognised as ‘Outstanding’ by Cumbria in Bloom and the Royal Horticultural Society for establishing a wildlife garden at the station. The group also received the Cumbria in Bloom Silver Gilt award for services to biodiversity, as a result of their fantastic work.

The volunteers of the Friends of Cark Station group started by clearing the huge amount of vegetation from the area behind the station, freeing up the space for their wildlife initiative. Having cleared the area, the team unearthed an ornate gate that was the original entrance to the station, as well as the original pathway back to the road. It was at this point that the Friends decided to transform the space between the pathway and the car park into a wildlife garden, with lots of insect-friendly elements to encourage the wildlife to flourish.

The group approached The Woodland Trust for shrubs to form a border for the wildlife area, and the Grange branch of Men in Sheds assisted in building a bug hotel. The Friends have been able to develop the area into a thriving wildlife garden that lead to their acheivements with Cumbria in Bloom and the Royal Horticultural Society in 2021.

The Friends of Cark Station are eagerly awaiting this year’s Cumbria in Bloom judges and another chance to showcase their hard work.

You can visit the Community Rail Cumbria website to keep up to date with community rail projects and events in the region, as well as Cumbria in Bloom for upcoming competitions and news.