Tributes have been paid to a former national park manager in Northumberland to mark the anniversary of her death.
The planting was undertaken by members of Hexham Rotary, family, friends, and Elaine’s current and retired work colleagues at the National Park. Hexham Rotary have an Environment Team led by Andrew Rigg. Please contact Rotary if you would like more information.
An area of native woodland near Greenlee Lough in Northumberland National Park has been extended and dedicated to Elaine Rigg, a former landscape and recreation manager for the park.
Hexham-born Mrs Rigg, who died a year ago from cancer, left an indelible legacy to the park, which she served for 22 years.
Renowned for having founded many areas of new native woodland throughout the National Park, she had initiated the establishment of the woodland near Greenlee Lough in a bid to offset carbon emissions.
This area, now named 'Elaine's Wood' after a dedication ceremony, stands as a testament to her dedication and persistence against the odds.
The dedication was led by Tony Gates, the park's chief executive officer. Mr Gates said: “My lasting memory of Elaine is someone who just knew her stuff and cared passionately about her job and getting it right.
"If she felt there was a piece of woodland in the wrong place, she would say. And I think in her memory, we carry that passion forward at Northumberland National Park.
"The idea to dedicate the wood to Elaine was posed. I thought it a wonderful suggestion because there could be no better tribute than this wood being named after her.”
Former colleague Dr Albert Weir reminisced about working alongside Mrs Rigg and how her passion for conservation could have contributed to the concept of rewilding areas to address biodiversity loss.
Dr Weir said: “We are devastated as colleagues. She was a truly nice person and I’m privileged to have known her.”
Following the dedication, the existing woodland was extended with a range of native broadleaf saplings, which included hundreds of oak tree saplings that Elaine and her husband, Andrew, grew from local acorns. An especially poignant moment was planting one such sapling near the plaque.
Speaking at the dedication, her husband, Andrew Rigg, said: “Elaine secured the original funding to plant the woodland back in 2003.
"Today, we are extending it with trees that Elaine and I grew from acorns over the last five years.
"It’s a great privilege for me and an honour for the family to have this wood dedicated to Elaine but, in particular, she would think it wonderful if she still were here today. Elaine so loved her job at the national park.”
The initiative to name the woodland after Mrs Rigg was proposed by her colleague, Gill Thompson, an ecologist at Northumberland National Park.
Ms Thompson said: “Elaine did a lot of work planning and planting of trees and when I go around the park, I see many of the fantastic woodlands that were initiated by her.
"It’s lovely to see something positive come out of this even though it’s a sad time for us all.”
In future, the woodland is expected to serve as a wildlife habitat and a footpath is planned around the site. Elaine's Wood is also set to be acknowledged on the Ordnance Survey map.
This project forms part of the wider Greenlee Lough site nature-first project.
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