New Redgrave play area opens with aim to inspire little ones to love nature

A new play area which aims to spark a love of nature in children has opened in Redgrave, near Diss.

A grand opening was held on Monday, January 30 with district and ward councillor Jessica Fleming cutting the ribbon.

The play area has been set in the middle of a newly created wildlife-friendly garden, where about a thousand trees have recently been planted.

It is hoped it will engage young minds with a keen awareness of the natural environment while they play.

Events and activities will be organised that will allow children to learn and appreciate the beauty and importance of nature in a safe environment.

These activities will include things like flower-insect timed counts, bat watching using hand-held detectors, making fat-balls for birds, moth trapping and counting, nature face-painting and leaf-pressing.

After the landowner terminated the lease on the land which was used as the village recreation ground, there was an urgent need for a new playground.

The play area, based in the Old School Playing Field, was funded through Mid-Suffolk District Council and the Redgrave Parish Council.

Suffolk Environmental Projects Ltd, previously called Sicon, supplied more than 500 trees for the area including new fruit trees.

The Mid-Suffolk District Council Biodiversity team also contributed further trees which have been incorporated in to the village using the Miyawaki (Micro-Forest) planting method.