Water for Wildlife, North Yorkshire
Project Officer: Jon Traill
During the summer and autumn of 2005 the project has been carrying out baseline water vole and mink surveys of the tributaries and across the River Ouse catchment flowing into the lower reaches of the rivers Swale and Ure. It is also advising farmers and landowners in the area on how they can best manage their river banks and ditches to benefit wildlife including water voles.
A leaflet has been produced by the project and the Environment Agency, explaining which options in Defra's Entry Level Stewardship Scheme will benefit water voles. This leaflet is aimed at farmers, landowners, advisors and agents. Copies are available from the Project Officer. The above work receives ongoing support from the Environment Agency and North Yorkshire County Council.
The project also carries out surveys and provides advice on otters, water voles and other wildlife in North Yorkshire. For example, following the deaths of two otters in the same place near the River Foss in York, Jon is working with City of York Council and others to try to prevent further deaths.
The project raises awareness of the problems of non-native plants, which are taking over many of our river banks, ditches and ponds, including Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii), Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). We direct people to advice on how to control these weeds.
The project is involved in a number of conservation groups including:
- Ripon Multi-objective Project (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/Wetlands/riponmop.htm).
- Conservation Advisory Group for MOD Ripon Parks.
- SPROUT - Strategic Partnership for the River Ouse and Tributaries.
- Ripon Parks AD Group.
Current work includes;
- Working with around twenty landowners to reduce the impact of livestock - work includes fencing, river banks and creation of new wetland habiats.
- Targetted work on ponds.
- Work in the Selby area - work with Stockbridge Technology Centre, a working farm on the environment, aimed at educational improvements. This includes undertakign work witht eh Forestry Commission in order to look at wet woodland. Creation has occurred at their Bishops Wood site.
