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Ministers rolled up their sleeves to help clear dead wood at Fort Regent yesterday morning in the first steps towards creating a green 'walkway in the sky'.
Chief Minister Senator John Le Fondré and Infrastructure Minister Deputy Kevin Lewis lent a hand to the Forestry Team, clearing out dead elm and sycamore trees.
Work on the gardens is part of the 'Early Phase' of the Fort's revamp which was announced in June 2021.
Last month, it was announced that the Forestry Team would start by clearing out dead elm and sycamore trees and removing a few trees whose roots are currently causing damage to the Fort’s historic stonework.
Contractors will also be brought in to clear the Eastern Moat and old Rose Garden area.
Trees will also be removed where roots are currently causing damage to the Fort’s historic stonework, most of which are self-seeded evergreen oak or sycamore trees.
Video: Ministers helped clear dead wood at the Fort.
The work is being carried out in conjunction with Nurture Ecology. The Government assured that if any wildlife is discovered during the clearance work, Nurture is licensed to rehome them correctly. Trees will also be checked for birds and squirrels nests before removal.
The clearing work marks another early step in the process to overhaul the Fort and its surrounding gardens. Ideas for revamping the outdoor space include ornamental planting, lawns, specimen trees, cafe/restaurants, formal ‘hidden’ gardens and a pavilion.
The idea of ‘walkways in the sky’ going up to 20ft over the natural landscape and high canopies, featuring water jets, water walls and water misters, has also been proposed.
Pictured: The Government wants to create a 'Heritage Trail' around the Fort.
In a consultation about all the Government's proposed new features for the Fort, plans to revamp the garden were the most popular.
The idea of Winter Gardens - which includes the ‘walkways in the sky’ - drew a score of 68% excitement.
In stark contrast, the idea of a casino on the site drew a 31% excitement rating, and a hotel beneath it at 29%, both the lowest rated of the selection.
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