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Parks and Open Spaces
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| | Breathing Spaces in Milton Keynes | | Garden of the Year 2008 
Garden of the Year Competition 2008.
The Garden of the year competition is now closed to entries.
Thank you to those who have sent in photos and entry forms.
The judges visited gardens in July.
Prize giving will take place on Thursday 21 August at Frosts Garden Centre commencing at 6-30pm. | Parks and Open Spaces in Milton Keynes | Friends of (Your Local Park) GroupsBecome a Friend of your local park and have a real say about what happens there. Help organise events and activities or join in with the management of the park. Friends groups meet throughout the year and take part in development work to improve their park environment with the support of MKC Landscape Services. This can take the form of practical work such as bulb
and tree planting, pond management and conservation work as well as educational walks and events. Their input provides a more coordinated approach to managing the park and greater democracy. Friends Groups bring additional benefits such as community events run by the community, greater awareness of issues and ownership in the parks and are able to access grant funding for improvements to their park. As a Friend there are opportunities for both work and play, with social events and activities and the reward of feeling you have made a real contribution to your community. If you would be interested in joining an established friends group, helping to create a new one
or learning more about the development of your local park
tel: 01908 252968 or email
| Junior Rangers - the Park ProtectorsJunior Rangers events take place in local parks during school holidays.
Fun and games on a wildlife theme. Come and discover your local park and what it takes to look after the plants and animals that live there. Junior Rangers receive regular editions of their own special magazine.
Suitable for 6-12 year olds. Accompanying adults welcome.
Register to become a Junior Ranger at one of the up-coming events.
The next Junior Rangers activities will be taking place in your local parks during the school Easter holidays (7th - 18th April). Dates and venues will appear in the Spring-Summer Go Wild! Leaflet.
Email your name and address to countryside@milton-keynes.gov.uk or
tel: 252023 to have a leaflet sent directly to your home.
| 10 Reasons to go into the Garden1. To take some exercise. Hearty gardening provides an effective work-out, burning calories and sculpting muscles while providing a gratifying sense of achievement.
2. To express your creativity | | NewsWater Saving Gardening
For ways of reducing your gardening water demand, please see: English Nature
Love Parks Week is a campaign to promote the importance of parks and green spaces. After previous successes, this years event took place in June. It is probable that the event will take place again in June 2009. For more information please see www.loveparks.org.uk
Trees Love Care TLC
 Trees campaigner The Tree Council is urging everyone who has planted trees in the past 5 years to visit them a minimum of once a year to help prolong their life. At least one in three trees die from lack of care within their first five years. With the help of the Tree Advice Trust the Council has published TLC tips -
Tending such as checking guards and carrying out essential pruning, Loosening of ties and checking stakes, and clearing grass and weeds from around the tree's base and applying mulches
Volunteers Needed at the Blue Lagoon
Could you help with conservation work at the Blue Lagoon Local Nature Reserve? We are currently looking for volunteers for a number of projects.
For more details contact Chris Coppock, Countryside Officer on 01908 252590 or email
Do you have a gardening or horticultural event within the Borough of Milton Keynes that you would like us to advertise or mention here? If so, please contact us. | Britain in Bloom 2008
In 2008 we have entered in partnership with The Parks Trust. The judges visited our route on the 17th July and we are now expecting to hear the results in early September. | | | It's Your SpaceCABE Space has launched a campaign 'It's Your Space' for Better Public Spaces which seeks to encourage a greater sense of ownership and involvement in open spaces. Why does it matter? | Parks and Open Space for EventsThe Council's Parks and Open Spaces are available for events. For the Council to consider your application to use the park or open space you would initially need to write giving the event details, location, and dates, giving at least one months notice to: The Manager, Landscape Services, Streetcare, Milton Keynes Council, Synergy Park, Chesney Wold, Bleakhall, MK6 1LY.
The organisers of the event would have to provide the following information on the forms below:
A fee may be charged depending on the nature of the event.
| | | Landscape Areas Maintained in mē
| Maintenance Type |
Apr-03 |
Apr-04 |
Apr-06 |
Apr-07 |
Apr-08 |
|---|
| Amenity Grass |
8,786,691 |
8,789,138 |
9,109,026 |
9,659,840 |
9,666,606 |
|---|
| Grave Grass |
69,461 |
77,191 |
83,884 |
83,879 |
83,667 |
|---|
| Sport Grass |
225,561 |
307,283 |
218,016 |
315,926 |
348,618 |
|---|
| Hedges |
205,780 |
210,245 |
212,404 |
213,739 |
220,737 |
|---|
| Shrubs |
1,119,101 |
1,142,378 |
1,181,893 |
1,155,574 |
1,163,041 |
|---|
| Woodland |
638,167 |
673,772 |
806,337 |
799,740 |
809,139 |
|---|
| Hard Surface |
228,295 |
358,638 |
358,638 |
358,638 |
417,081 |
|---|
| Total mē |
11,273,056 |
11,558,647 |
11,970,197 |
12,587,336 |
12,708,889 |
|---|
| Contact usContact the Parks and Open Space team if you have any queries about the following:
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| Be a Good NeighbourPlease be a good neighbour to your local parks and open spaces.
Are you a neighbour of Milton Keynes Council communities' parks and open spaces? City park areas include local parks, playgrounds, green corridors and boulevards.
To help preserve and protect these valuable areas, the Milton Keynes Council Department of Parks and Open Spaces wants to work with neighbours and others who enjoy our parks to clarify boundaries and promote the proper use of park and open spaces. | Benefits of Parks
There are many individual, community, environmental and economic benefits available from Parks. City parks are central to the life of a city.
They are its lungs, breathing a higher quality of life into the enjoyment of urban life. City parks are public institutions that play a vital role in preserving and strengthening our cities; giving cohesion to our urban communities and life to our neighbourhoods.
The Urban Design Alliance(UDAL) recognises the importance of
Green Spaces | |
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Under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (amended 1991), 
Play is an essential part of every child's life and is vital for their development . It provides the mechanism for children to explore the world around them and a medium through which skills are developed and practised.
