A brand-new woodland walk was officially opened to the public by 50 excited schoolchildren.

Paragon Veterinary Group has turned over three hectares of its land at Newbiggin near Penrith to become a woodland, wildlife haven and a place to enjoy nature for the local community.

Laura Binnie, the Paragon vet who spearheaded the project, said: “It was such a special occasion.

“I’m so pleased we got to share it with the children, and I hope in doing so they will return with their families to show them round the woodland walk we have created.”

Laura went on to say “Paragon’s woodland is now open to the public so please come along and have a look.

“I’m slightly overwhelmed by the positive response we have had to this, and we are really looking forward to being able to share this with the community. This will be a beautiful woodland which will be there for generations to come.”

Youngsters from Year 4 and Year 5 at Cumwhinton School went on a walk, enjoyed a scenic picnic, took part in an educational nature-based treasure hunt and saw the unveiling of two interpretation boards at the site which feature their artwork.

They also enjoyed their moment in the spotlight with local media and TV.

David Black, Paragon’s Senior Director and founder, said: “Paragon as a business has been committed to sustainability for several years now and we are fortunate to have had some land we could allocate to this project. 

“We are particularly pleased that so many colleagues have got behind this initiative and we are delighted to be able to get local schoolchildren involved, and for it to be open for the local community, together learning more about biodiversity and mitigations against climate change”

Last year Paragon staff planted 3,600 native broadleaf trees and created a circular walk at the site.

“We created it because we want to improve biodiversity and provide habitats for wildlife, improve the drainage and soil and water quality, and we want to provide a green space for our local community and our staff to enjoy,” said Laura who heads Paragon’s Green Group. 

“Over one hundred years, which is the life span of these trees, they will capture 1000 tons of carbon dioxide.”

When the woodland matures it will feature a wealth of native trees including wild cherry, hazel, hornbeam, horse chestnut, rowan, sessile oak, guelder rose, lime, spindle, walnut and silver birch. 

“We hope it will give us loads of beautiful autumn colour which will be seen for miles around,” said Laura. 

The pupils from Cumwhinton School created drawings for the woodland interpretation boards as part of a project on eco systems and Laura led two lessons to help them.

The winners whose main illustrations were used were Harper Nixon, nine and Naomi Warren, 10.

However details from a number of other pupils’ drawings were also incorporated.

The public can walk round Paragon’s woodland, where you can see butterflies, wild-flowers, and birds like willow warbler and black cap.

Laura said: “It’s free access for people to walk all day all year and dogs are allowed.

“We just ask that everyone is respectful to nature, follows the Countryside Code, closes gates and please don’t leave any trace of your visit.”

The wood is a flagship project for Paragon which is a national leader in green practices and aims to become a net zero business.

Measures to reduce its footprint include changes in transport, energy use and anaesthetics. 

Paragon has the highest possible accreditation from Investors in the Environment and was the first practice in the UK to receive the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons environmental sustainability award.

Last year it was recognised as the greenest veterinary practice in the country and Laura Binnie was named the greenest vet. 

Paragon Veterinary Group has centres at Dalston, Wetheral, Shap and Newbiggin and has Small Animal, Farm, Equine and Advanced Breeding divisions.