Fell Care Days are mass-volunteering practical conservation and learning events which bring together local communities, schools and volunteers from many different walks of life. They focus on reconnecting people with the landscape by raising awareness of the immense value of uplands in providing diverse and unique habitats; food and fuel; clean water; flood control; jobs; locking up carbon in peat soils; opportunities for recreation and improving our health and well-being to name but a few. The days are filled with a sense of shared purpose, fun, camaraderie and most importantly, lots of cake to help fuel volunteers through their tasks!

We often work with partners and are grateful for their support. Past partners have included National Trust, Lake District National Park Authority, Forestry Commission.

We are also grateful to our sponsors who help make Fell Care Days happen. Fell Care sponsors in 2019 were the People's Postcode Lottery and HF Holidays.

  

Videos of some of the activities undertaken at our Fell Care Events

Fell Care Day Statistics:

Buttermere Fell Care Day – 2019

• 111 volunteers, task leaders and staff
• 4 m of dry stone wall rebuilt at Lanthwaite
• 6 bags of rubbish, nearly 300 dog poo bags (!), 2 nappies and a car exhaust collected
• 75m of rotten rail and post path fencing replaced at the head of Buttermere
• 200m of sheep proof fencing erected at the head of Buttermere
• 10 mature trees in cages planted at High Rannerdale
• 200 bluebell bulbs replanted at High Rannerdale
• 40m of path pitched and resurfaced at the head of Buttermere
• 250 trees planted at Gatescarth
• 5 atlatl spears made during wilderness skills at Long How Wood
• 6 km of path maintained at Scarth Gap, Scale Force and Whiteless Pike.
• 666 hours of work completed = 95 days!
• Over 250 pieces of cake eaten!

Overall summary 2011-2019

Friends of the Lake District has organised 20 Fell Care Days in ten years in 18 locations:

• 2011 – Helvellyn & Ennerdale
• 2012 – Ullswater & Windermere
• 2013 – Borrowdale & Grange over Sands
• 2014 – Coniston & Grasmere
• 2015 – Wasdale, Blencathra & Eden
• 2016 – Keswick, Glenridding & Patterdale, Rusland
• 2017 – Keswick, Grasmere & Eskdale
• 2018 – Thirlmere & the Duddon valley
• 2019 – Buttermere
• 2020 - postponed due to the pandemic
• 2021 - Haweswater Fell Care Day 4 November 2021

The 20 Fell Care Days completed so far have involved:

• 2702 volunteers
• 193 separate tasks
• completing 1872 days’ work in the fells

Just some of the achievements to date:

• 50,133 m2 woodland work including coppicing, clearing non-native regeneration and tree planting.
• Over 2,760 native trees planted (oak, birch, hawthorn, dogwood, alder, aspen, willow and rowan).
• 326 tree cages removed.
• Over 215m dry stone walling,
• Over 360km of path creation and maintenance,
• 47 Fix the Fells drain runs clearing drains.
• red grouse, red squirrel, fungi, dormouse surveys, invertebrate and river surveys
• invasive rhododendron clearance,
• willow wildlife hide building (x3),
• 19 litter picks – 7 canoeing, 1 diving and 11 shore based,
• 100m hedge laid.
• 97 bird & bat boxes
• 4 bridges built
• 5700 native snowdrops, daffodils and bluebell bulbs planted.
• 1,000 hay meadow plug plants planted
• 200m of sheep proof fencing erected
• 400m of riverside fence restored to improve riparian (riveredge) habitat

And 4244 pieces of cake have been donated (and eaten) to fuel our volunteers!

See images from our 2019 Fell Care Day at Buttermere on our facebook page.

“Hard work, amazing views, warm, kind people, fixing the fells and cakes!  What more could you ask for, an amazing day. I will definitely be coming again.”

Rachel Brine, Marketing Manager’ Equip Outdoor Technologies UK Ltd

“I really enjoyed it. It was an excellent experience and I’m sure everyone else would agree. It also felt good to know we were giving something back to the local community as well as the countryside.”

Kiran Burgul, Public Service Student, Lakes College West Cumbria

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For further information about Fell Care Days, please contact [email protected]