New era for Panshanger Park

Five-year community engagement and volunteering programme to open up park to the wider public

AS part of their ongoing partnership, Tarmac and Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust have introduced a new five-year community engagement and volunteering programme which will open the historic landscape of Panshanger Park to the wider public.

Jo Whitaker (pictured), the new Panshanger Park people and wildlife officer, will support visitors in discovering more about the park’s wildlife and habitats. Funded by Tarmac, her role is to develop a new programme of volunteering activities including conservation, monitoring, and interpretation across the park.

Stuart Wykes, director of land and natural resources at Tarmac, said: ‘We are really pleased to welcome Jo to the team at Panshanger Park as we continue our long-term partnership with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.

'As the park grows in popularity, her role will help our visitors learn about the history and wildlife of the park and provide many opportunities for people to get involved in helping us protect and manage it.’

Lesley Davies, the Trust’s chief executive, said: ‘We are delighted to continue to develop our work with Tarmac at Panshanger Park. The park boasts some wonderful wildlife, and we are looking forward to showing visitors all the park has to offer and bringing new opportunities for people to take action for wildlife through volunteering.

‘Wildlife faces increasing challenges due to loss of habitat, so to be able to work on habitats at the scale of Panshanger Park is a very special opportunity.’

Panshanger Park is owned and managed by Tarmac who are working in partnership with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Herts County Council to open up the historic landscape to the public.

The partnership is working in consultation with a range of stakeholders to create a financially sustainable, exemplar country park which will highlight and protect its varied wildlife, rich history and stunning landscape.