Moses Gate Country Park 29th June 2025
The wildlife garden near Rock Hall in Moses Gate country park has been around for a number of years, and we probably worked on it in the in its early days, but it wasn’t until 2016 that management of the area was handed over to Bolton Conservation Volunteers. Since then we have installed planting beds, laid hedges, and generally maintained the site; we also both of our Wildfest events here.

Out of all of the places we have worked this one is of special importance as it is the place we most associate with our former leader, Rick Parker. Before he passed away in 2024 Rick used the wildlife garden in his teaching sessions, introducing children to wildlife through pond dipping, willow weaving, and species identification. The abundance of frogs, toads, dragonflies, damselflies, newts, butterflies, moths, birds, wild flowers, and fruit trees made it a perfect place for Rick to do the job he loved the most. It’s a legacy we want to continue.
At the moment the garden isn’t in the best condition: the beds are overgrown, the boardwalk has rotted through in several areas and it is need of extensive repairs. Happily Tom and Caroline are on the case and are pushing plans forward to return Rick’s garden to its former glory. As a prelude to the start of the repair work we spent today tidying up the planting beds, trimming the hedges (after checking for nests), and cutting back some of the more intrusive vegetation.
As work progresses more news will be added to this page along with photos, but in the meantime thanks to everyone involved, Rick would be proud of what you all do.