Sprinkle some fairy dust on an idea for a nature trail and what do you get? An enchanting new adventure that magically opened in Zetland Park on International Fairy Day (June 24th).
Sparked by an idea locals initially had during the consultation process of the National Lottery Heritage Fund supported park’s regeneration project, the 10 doors are part of a fun and educational fairy trail that covers the full 18.5 hectares of the green space.
Constructed by TCV Scotland's Men’s Shed in Grangemouth - and decorated by S3 pupils at Grangemouth High School - each door has its own unique fairy and magically opens to reveal information, provided by the Council’s Ranger Services, on the various tree species that grow in the park and why they are important to the local environment.
Zetland Park Project Officer, Allana Hughes, said: “Seeing the faces of children when they discover a door and open it is priceless. The doors are quite big so are easy to spot – but there are a few hidden away! We decided not to produce a map of where the doors are because we want to get people using the park and discovering areas they might never have visited before. It’s fun and educational and really makes for an enchanting visit.”
Set to be a permanent fixture in the park, the trail was brought to life thanks to volunteers who collectively invested over 70 hours to build, decorate and install the doors, which had first made an appearance undecorated at Zetland Park’s Spectacular Spring Event earlier this year.
“Feedback from that event highlighted the doors needed to be painted so we approached the local high school because we wanted the pupils to get involved and take ownership of the project, and they are very proud their artwork is now on display for all to see.”
And it’s not just little ones fluttering around the park opening the doors - the older generation are getting enjoyment out of the trail too.
“I’ve already spotted a few dog walkers open the doors and joke they were just checking to see if anyone was in! That is what the trail is all about – sparking conversations, discovering new things and adding a little bit of magic to people’s lives.”
Pictured above are little fairies (left to right) Marnie Hughes (3) and Eden Krykant (2). Below the 10 fairy doors created by S3 pupils at Grangemouth High School.
