Weymouth and Portland Go Wild for the Games

Last modified: 19 April 2012

View of RSPB Radipole Lake nature reserve — Image: Andy Hay

A partnership of organisations have come together to celebrate the wild side of the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.

With a wide range of venues, activities and events, the Natural Weymouth & Portland Partnership hopes to inspire local people and visitors make the most of the amazing environment and variety of wildlife that lives in and around the borough – including those under the sea.

The Partnership also wants to ensure that the environment, wildlife and people benefit long past the end of the Games.

Simon Williams, Head of Weymouth & Portland 2012 Operations, said: 'With the eyes of the world on Weymouth this summer we're keen to make the most of what the area has to offer – including the amazing Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and some of the best wildlife in the UK! We're also investing in work that will leave a legacy long after the Games have finished.'

The Natural Weymouth & Portland Partnership is made up of Dorset Coast Forum, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Partnership, Natural England, RSPB, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, Wild About Weymouth & Portland and Dorset Countryside.

'We want to encourage people to get out and about into the natural world'

Under the banner of 'Natural Weymouth & Portland', the Partnership aims to encourage the public to discover, enjoy and help conserve the natural environment and wildlife, and enable better access through new interactive centres, walks, talks and water based activities such as kayaking.

The Partnership will have a major presence at the Bayside Festival during the Olympic Games period, with displays and fun activities for everyone. Following significant investment, Radipole Lake and Chesil Beach visitor centres will act as information points, and new visitor access will be in place through the Wild About Weymouth & Portlands Legacy Trail which runs from Loorton Valley to Portland Bill.

In support of 'One Planet 2012', LOCOG's London 2012 Sustainability Plan, the Partnership will also be promoting positive approaches to reducing impact on climate change, reduction of waste and looking at ways in which healthy living can be promoted through better access to wildlife.

Mr Williams said: 'We want to encourage people to get out and about into the natural world. We're equally keen this is done in the greenest way possible and with minimum impact on the environment.'

'Weymouth and Portland sit at the centre of a uniquely rich and remarkable natural area - beautiful seas rich in marine wildlife, the stunning quarries and stone of Portland, the sweep of Chesil Beach, the wetlands of Radipole and Lodmoor, the meadows of Lorton Valley, and on either side, the majestic sweep of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

'From dolphins to puffins, otters to butterflies, common terns to dinosaurs, there's something here for everyone. With all this activity we are confident that alongside the Games, we'll be winning gold for wildlife and our wonderful natural environment here in Weymouth and Portland and Dorset.'