Theme – Engaging communities, enhancing lives
Over 50 rangers attended the CMA conference in November 2018 which was based in the Lee Valley Regional Park close to London and was opened by Roger Cole, CMA Vice President. The keynote address was centred on the UK government’s 25-year Environmental Plan and the likely implication for those of us managing the countryside. The rest of the conference featured a mix of practical workshops and presentations plus field visits to the park. One group explored the park by bike whilst others visited the 15th century Rye House Gatehouse and the nearby RSPB reserve plus the Gunpowder Park (created on a former military explosives testing area). The final session of the conference was a series of presentations by the Parks Action Group tasked by the government to develop proposals to address some of the main issues facing public parks and green spaces. A “Ranger Raffle” regularly held at these events by Ian Brooker and Derek Evans raised over £250 for the Thin Green Line Foundation.