Thomas Tuohy & Phil Braithwaite
Dismayed by the loss of farmland and hedges, because of housing development, I bought 5 hectares of land in the centre of the village to safeguard it, with the intention of planting trees for environmental benefit.
Thomas Tuohy
Thomas Tuohy is a historian and art critic from Beckermet who founded Biographical Arboretum Little Mesopotamia (BALM) with the help of local farmer Phil Braithwaite. 'Mesopotamia' derives from a Greek word meaning ‘land between rivers’, a nod to the site's position between two becks.
Thomas explains his intention behind creating the arboretum:
'Growing up in a house on the edge of Beckermet, surrounded by nature, I developed an interest in the natural world at a young age. I had fields, hedges, gardens with orchards and a pond, and easy access to the shore of the Irish Sea.
Decades later, dismayed by the loss of green spaces because of housing development, I bought 5 hectares of land in the centre of the village to safeguard it, with the intention of planting trees for environmental benefit and to create an experimental botanical collection within a landscape garden.
I drew up the designs and planting schemes myself, and since 2001 we've planted over 5,000 trees, 60% of which are in hedges. The trees we've planted are dedicated to people I have encountered through life and work. I've been helped in this project by Phil Braithwaite, a local farmer, and until recently a National Trust woodland ranger in the Western Valleys. He's erected fencing, to keep livestock out of planted areas, done most of the planting, and continues to assist with development and maintenance of the site. His experience and collaboration have been invaluable.
Our objective with BALM is to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment through planting, care, nurture and cultivation of trees both indigenous and non-native. Our careful management of the land includes an ongoing programme of planting and a grass cutting policy (for areas not currently open to sheep) designed to promote wildflowers and be insect-friendly.
Since 2013, following advice in environmental management offered by DEFRA, the site has been managed to protect plants and habitats for wildlife and to promote biodiversity. In 2019, Biographical Arboretum Little Mesopotamia was registered as a charity. Phil and I are fellow Trustees and the success of the project is a result of our partnership.
There are two public footpaths through the site and we organise guided visits to the arboretum around 8 times per year. Dates appear on our website and sometimes on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust website, so keep an eye out if you'd like to visit.