Supporting access and enjoyment
I worked for several years with a consultancy team undertaking projects to increase public access, enjoyment and understanding in special environments, ranging from national parks to nature reserves, country parks, or specific features of the landscape.
These included the 18th century weir at Calver on the River Derwent, which was then in danger of collapsing and taking with it a biodiversity-rich stretch of wetland. We produced detailed plans for access, audience development and education, to complement the proposed engineering solutions. Like all my consultancy work, this involved liaison with stakeholders, communities and visitors, and research to identify who visits the weir, who else might benefit, and how people’s experience could be enhanced. This was also my first direct involvement with the River Derwent, which has since become something of an obsession!
Similar projects included access and audience development plans for the Upper Derwent Valley, Harold Odell Country Park in Bedfordshire, the chalk escarpment of Dunstable Downs in the Chilterns, and Winnall Moors Nature Reserve beside the River Itchen in Hampshire.
These projects increased opportunities for everyone to enjoy these landscapes, by improving access and focusing on inclusion, diversity and community involvement, as well as the role people themselves can play in caring for the places they love.
Margi Bryant 