Bringing new life to vital wetlands
Nov 29 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal
HABITATS will be improved on a Northumberland river as part of a national drive to help wetland areas. The Natural England scheme will mean £2m funding for a series of wetland habitat recreation projects over the next year.
One of the projects that will benefit is the River Till Wetland Restoration Project in Northumberland, which will receive £120,000 towards new habitat improvements in the river’s catchment.
The River Till is designated as a site of special scientific interest and a special area of conservation for its populations of otter, salmon, lamprey and aquatic plants. A partnership of organisations including the Tweed Forum, the Environment Agency and the Tweed Foundation is working with Natural England to improve existing wetland habitats and create new ones.
Working with local landowners, the funds from Natural England’s Wetland Vision Project will help to expand existing projects to reconnect the river with its floodplain and control invasive species such as American Signal crayfish and Himalayan balsam. Ponds and wet grassland will be created and some degraded mires and ox-bow lakes will be restored.
Most of England’s once wide-ranging wetlands have disappeared and many plants, animals and insects – including the fen orchid, snipe and the great silver water beetle – which rely on watery habitats, are in decline as a result.
Martyn Howat, Natural England’s North East director, said: “I am delighted that the River Till project will benefit from this funding. Wetlands are a perfect example of how we can think big to reverse habitat losses, restore biodiversity and achieve other environmental gains.
“The funding announcement is an important step in reviving the fortunes of these crucial habitats.”
Dr Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, said: “To guarantee the long-term survival of our wildlife, we need to address the environmental health of entire landscapes, focusing on wide-scale restoration of habitats and ecosystems. Our focus has to be on the underlying causes of biodiversity loss rather than just treating the symptoms in isolation.”
Wetlands support a wide range of species, many of which are now rare or threatened, and they can also provide water storage, flood prevention and clean water supplies.
