Rebuilding Biodiversity
The project is now well under way, enhancing and rebuilding biodiversity at a landscape scale to enrich the river floodplain of the river Calder. At the Southern Washlands Nature Corridor a huge site owned by Wakefield Council, volunteers and contractors have been working with the Trust project officer clearing willow and birch from the neutral grassland and coppicing in the wet woodland. Thornhill Wetlands
This work will be ongoing over the next couple of months as we restore the grassland to protect the orchids and other species that use the habitat. The site is very varied with part of the area we are working in made up of fuel ash from the former Wakefield power station. At Colnebridge/Dalton Bank nature Reserve work has begun to remove sycamore and some pine to allow for planting, regeneration and to create standing deadwood. The current focus of work is actually on land owned by our corporate member Syngenta and is being overseen by one of our project partners Environment Alliance. Habitat creation has begun at Dogley nature reserve near Kirkburton, a Kirklees Council site where the project is funding the creation of a new pond network next to a tributary of the Calder.
As if that is not enough, work has also begun on another YWT corporate members land at Matthews Foods who own part of the Thornhill Wetlands a chain of smaller sites linked by the river and the canal just downstream of Dewsbury. Here I will be creating a new track and rides through the willow field, while removing some of the tree cover in the wetland. In Calderdale work has just begun on the three Calderdale Council sites near Brighouse at Atlas Mills, Clifton Lagoons and Cromwell Bottom.
We will add more pictures of the work as they come in and I will do another update at the end of March. This picture depicts a 'frog rescue' occurring during the new pond creation.
As if that is not enough.......................
Your Heritage
The promotion of the natural heritage of the river Calder is also well underway. The new leaflets and walks for the Southern Washlands Nature Corridor are well under way. If you would like to know when they are available please email me and I will add you the list. The walk routes are being trialled at the moment and they will be colour coded and waymarked. I am also finalising dates for events at the site to attract people into the site which is directly east of Wakefield between Stanley Ferry and Heath.
An exciting extra development which I will be adding to the web is a page about some of the industrial history of the site using pictures old and new. I have been giving talks to groups up and down the river to promote the project and its sites as well as teaching people about some of the wildlife to be found on the Calder, including otters and water voles.
Access improvements have just started at two other sites, Cromwell Bottom and Matthews Foods. At Cromwell Bottom new disabled access kissing gates and paths are being installed while at Matthews Foods a willow screen made out of the willow biomass field is being built in February to enable workers from the factory and walkers to view the wetland without disturbing the wildlife.
Further information will also be available on this website, so look out for quarterly updates over the next two years when we can take a closer look at the industrial and natural heritage of these man made jewels.
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