spouncerECOLOGY is currently providing advice on the development of a project to re-vitalise the formal fruit growing area for Newtownabbey Borough Council. This has involved a programme of landscape advice, re-design of the orchard area, public engagement events to include an Apple Blossom celebration with a local school, a local Apple Fest where we cooked with the fallen apples under the trees and collected different varitieties of apples from local orchards to include Crawfsburn Country Park where they have a collection of traditional varieties in the the walled garden to include Scarlet Crofton, Green Chisel, Ard Cairn Russet and Ecklinville.

This week we will run a grafting workshop led by Mike Snowden who will train Parks staff in traditional skills to take cuttings from the Kemp apples in the orchard.