A long-term aim of our charity is to encourage riparian landowners to take ownership of their section of the river. We want to educate them about the benefits healthy rivers bring and how with their help, care and attention, we can create a river system that benefits people and wildlife.
Thanks:
The project would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and partners. Our Flagship Sites project was funded by Cobbett Environmental Ltd through the Landfill Communities Fund.
To create a healthy river environment and improve the River Holme and its catchment for people, businesses and wildlife, we identified several ‘Flagship’ sites.
Working together with the landowners, we removed invasive species and replanting native flowers, managing trees and clearing litter.
Working to recommendations from the Wild Trout Trust report (commissioned in 2017), we’ve created examples of best practice for creating environments that encourage native wildlife to thrive.
Our holistic work has involved treating invasive species, replanting native flowers to provide food and shelter for animals, managing woodland to provide the optimum balance of shade and light and generally improving the area for visitors.
At Thongsbridge we’ve cleared litter, removed invasive species and improved riverside access.
Working with Friends of Meltham Pleasure Grounds, we’ve removed invasive species including rhododendron and skunk cabbage, and tidied the area.
Here we’ve improved access, planted trees and carried out willow spiling to protect the riverbank. We’ve also tackled invasive species as well as litter picking, and other improvements.
Through our Flagship sites project, we’ve made transformational changes to riverside areas, which can be replicated elsewhere within the catchment.