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New trail at Aberdeen park to help people get back to nature

Volunteer Kaleb Balka helps Jennie Miller set up the signs for the trail..
Volunteer Kaleb Balka helps Jennie Miller set up the signs for the trail..

A friends group based at an Aberdeen park are gearing up to launch their very own rubbing plaque nature trail.

The walk around Westfield Park in Bridge of Don will feature 17 different animals, such as birds, bees and bats at different points.

They also have QR codes which visitors can scan with a smartphone giving access to fun facts and activities.

A map highlights where visitors can discover each of the plaques.

There are 16 easy-to-find plaques on the trail – while one has been left for people to try and discover. Each plaque will reveal a unique image by rubbing a crayon or pencil  over a piece of paper.

The Friends of Westfield Park are behind the project having previously created a fairy door trail in 2020.

Other efforts to improve the park include a mural at its skatepark featuring characters from 1996 animation Space Jam.

Hard work down to student

Jennie Miller, chairwoman of the Friends of Westfield Park, said they used redundant fence posts to place each of the plaques on.

She revealed a teenager from Bridge of Don, who wants to remain anonymous, who came up with the idea as part of his Duke of Edinburgh award.

Jennie said: “We hope this can encourage everybody to explore the park.

“We had a student doing his Duke of Edinburgh bronze award who did a lot of the work for this.

“He scoped out areas of the park, costed it all and really drove it forward. He does not want publicity for it but he made all this happen and made it come to life.”

“All the animals on the plaques are native to the park or the surrounding area.”

Visitors can scan QR codes to access more details about some of the animals living at the park.

The Friends of Westfield Park have been working with e Bridge of Don and District Men’s Shed who will be installing the plaques and QR codes on Friday.

‘For the community to get out and enjoy’

Youngster Kaleb Belka has also been helping out with technology like adding all of the nature trail information on the group’s website.

She said: “We would like to get families and the community out and about exploring and enjoying the park.

“We did the fairy door trail a couple of years and I hope the nature trail is just as successful.

“We had heard people were coming in from the likes of Ellon to see the fairy door trail.

“The park has been so well used during lockdown with exercise classes running and loads of groups are using the space so hopefully this will attract more people.”

The Friends of Westfield Park was formed in 2017. Its aim is to make the land continually inviting to visitors and increase local awareness of it.