Land donated to National Trust ‘in good hands’
Balancing what is good for nature with what is good for people is one of the National Trust’s main priorities for a newly-acquired piece of land at La Corbiere in Forest.
Members of the Guernsey branch of the organisation visited the land – which is situated between two other trust-owned sites on the south coast – yesterday morning.
Trust land manager Colin Gaudion paid tribute to the donor of the land, who wished to remain anonymous, and said the trust would ensure that the land remained in good hands into the future.
‘Initially the land will stay as it is. In the longer term there’s always the possibility of opening it up for access.
‘We can keep it for the benefit of the public or for nature.’
Watch: Tom Porter spoke to National Trust land manager Colin Gaudion
Mr Gaudion said that the trust worked with other voluntary groups, such as the Guernsey Conservation Volunteers, to manage its land and determine what was best for it.
‘What’s good for one type of nature isn’t necessarily the right thing for a different type. Some areas are mown, some are left to go wild, what is the right answer for this plot I don’t yet know.’
He added that the trust had seen a sizeable increase in the amount of land donated to it over the last year, including another piece in the last few weeks in the north of the island between the trust-owned Creve Coeur site and the ammunition hut situated near Mont Cuet.
‘We’ve had people who’ve left the island who want to hand it to somebody to care for it, and we’ve had people near the end of their lives who are thinking ahead for their estate.
‘We’ve also purchased land with funds donated by the public – perhaps there’s more of a sense of wanting to protect land due to urban pressures.’
He was hopeful that the trust would be able to secure even more land around La Corbiere and other parts of the island.
‘There are several more pieces adjacent to La Corbiere that would complete this block of land and make it more usable for whatever we decide to do.
‘I’m sure throughout the island there are parcels of land which people could either donate to protect them, or because they just feel that it’s something that should be in the public domain.’
