By Sarah Featley
The
Parks Trust, the charity
that cares for Milton Keynes’ parks and green spaces, has planned a series of
events and activities to celebrate the city’s 50th birthday, with
exciting activities for people of all ages and interests to enjoy.
A
highlight of the year for many will be The Parks Trust’s partnership with
Milton Keynes Council to offer a special programme of 50 led walks throughout
2017. These walks will be held at a wide variety of locations across the
beautiful and inspiring city, offering people the chance to discover new areas
and learn more about Milton Keynes. The most adventurous of all will be The
Parks Trust’s 25 mile Challenge Walk, which will begin at Howe Park Wood. This
will be a self-guided walk stretching across the city’s parkland, with a
downloadable map available at www.theparkstrust.com
This
will be complemented by The Parks Trust’s definitive list of the 50 most
notable trees in Milton Keynes. The list has been compiled by those who work
amongst the trees every day as part of the Trust’s operations team and
residents will be invited to vote for their favourite. Downloadable leaflets
with details on each tree and how to find them will be available online.
These
trees will also be added to the Open University’s Treezilla project; the
monster map of Britain’s trees which details how they benefit the local environment
and economy. The Parks Trust will be running an adult education session on
Saturday 20 May providing guidance on how people can evaluate Milton Keynes’
trees and add them to the map themselves.
For
those keen to give something back to the city, The Parks Trust will be
combining with parish councils to run 50 litter picking sessions throughout the
year, encouraging residents to help Milton Keynes look its best. During
National Volunteering week (beginning 1st June) there will be a
litter pick at Willen Lake North, as well as other activities for people to
enjoy, including reed planting.
Wildlife
fans will love The Parks Trust’s Festival of Nature, being held in partnership
with BBO Wildlife Trust and MK Natural History Society. This is a week-long
celebration of nature, organised for the first time to coincide with the 50th
birthday celebrations. It begins with the Trust’s annual Nature Day on 1 July
and during the week there will be nature themed guided walks, competitions, and
lots of opportunities for people to get discover the world around them.
The
Parks Trust’s annual public meeting, on Thursday 6 July, will be an opportunity
for the charity to reflect on its heritage and what it has achieved since its
formation 25 years ago, while launching its strategic plan for the coming
years.
Meanwhile
on Friday 4 August, people can enjoy fun and games at Willen Lake for Love
Willen Day. This is a perfect summer holiday treat, with free garden games,
pond dipping and pedalo rides for all.
The
Parks Trust will again be partnering with Milton Keynes City Orchestra for its
hugely popular event, Proms in Campbell Park. Taking place on Friday 18 August,
this is sure to be an excellent way to mark such an important milestone in the
city’s history.
In
addition, as part of MK50, The Parks Trust has offered 50 free education
sessions to community groups and schools across Milton Keynes, with the lucky
recipients including Army Cadets, Women’s Institutes, Brownie packs and Scout
troops. These sessions will cover a host of activities, including bushcraft,
guided walks, bug hunting, and pedalo hire at Willen Lake.
David
Foster, Chief Executive of The Parks Trust, commented: “Milton Keynes is a very
special city and it is important to celebrate its many achievements and the
advantages it offers to those who live, work and visit here.
“We
wanted to create a programme of events and activities throughout the year that
would encourage people to spend time outside in our beautiful parks, lakes and
woodlands. We hope people enjoy celebrating with us!”
The
Parks Trust will be supporting and helping with a wide variety of other
celebratory activities throughout the year, including with the supplying and
the planting of a commemorative tree in Milton Keynes village, and third party
events in its parks.
