The project will see new wetland created at Oak Tree Farm in the Lugg Valley in Herefordshire which will provide food and nesting habitat for threatened lapwing and curlew. The location means the reserve will also be a stepping stone for wetland wildlife between Bodenham Lake nature reserve and Wellington Gravel Pits, two of the most important county sites for wetland birds and will improve connectivity between a wetland complex of more than 20 lakes alongside the A49.

Sustainable, natural drainage created next to an A49 outfall, will aid water filtration running from the nearby road network, reducing pollution before the water enters the River Lugg SSSI.

Oak Tree Farm is a 30-acre site comprised of pasture and meadow. It lies directly below Dinmore Hill and slopes down to the River Lugg which forms its southern border. In the winter, an ephemeral pool emerges beside the river and there is also a natural spring on the land. These are all great features for wildlife and mean that the site is perfect for further enhancement.

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust purchased the site in September 2020 following a successful fundraising appeal.

Andrew Nixon, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Senior Manager says:

“We live in one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.  We’ve lost of 97% of lowland meadows which once hummed with the buzz of bees, and beautiful butterflies and wading birds like curlew and lapwing, which rely on healthy wetlands are on the red list. This project will help to reverse these declines providing a new wetland habitat in the Lugg Valley where nature can thrive.

Already we have completed surveys of the site, Oak Tree Farm near Dinmore, and designed the wetland features we plan to create – we can’t wait to get started in making a real difference for wildlife in this landscape.”

The Oak Tree Farm wetland creation is one of 26 projects which form the Network for Nature programme.

In England, the roadside estate is vast and yet is adjacent to some of our most precious habitats. When situated alongside linear infrastructure, such as motorways, habitats can create crucial corridors for pollinating insects, birds and small mammals, enabling wildlife to move through the wider landscape. 

Nikki Robinson, Network for Nature Programme Manager for The Wildlife Trusts said:

“We’re very pleased that National Highways is committed to Network for Nature, with a strategic approach to restoring nature and joining up vital places for wildlife to help counter the damaging impacts of previous road building.  

“Historic road building programmes have contributed to nature’s decline, fragmenting wild spaces and causing environmental pollution, and this programme will help Wildlife Trusts throughout England carry out important nature conservation work, and contribute to a national Nature Recovery Network, connecting town and countryside, and joining up vital places for wildlife, and promoting landscape scale connectivity.”

Stephen Elderkin, Environmental Sustainability Division lead for National Highways, said: “We’re committed to significantly improving biodiversity near our road network, and the projects set out by The Wildlife Trusts will be a vital step in putting the strategic road network at the heart of nature’s recovery.”

Notes:

Network for Nature is a £6.18 million programme managed by the Royal Society for Wildlife Trusts and funded through National Highways’ Environment and Wellbeing Designated Funds programme.

Over the next four years, 15 Wildlife Trusts in England are working on a huge range of projects from chalk downlands to boost rare butterflies, to creating and restoring wetlands, and conserving rare chalk streams for endangered water voles. Some Trusts are using natural solutions, like reedbeds and ponds to help filter polluted road run-off and stop it going into rivers or nature reserves. Overall, twenty-six biodiversity projects will enhance, restore and create more than 1,700 acres (690 hectares) of woodlands, grasslands, peatlands and wetlands across every region of England.

National Highways is the company responsible for England’s motorways and major A-roads.  Currently in its third year, National Highways’ Designated Funds programme, is divided into four funding streams: environment and wellbeing, users and communities, safety and congestion and innovation and modernisation. 

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT) is a wildlife conservation charity for everyone who cares about nature in Herefordshire. We are dedicated to protecting the special wildlife in Herefordshire and encouraging people to enjoy, care for and act for nature. We own and manage 60 Nature Reserves across the county and have over 6,100 members. Our 2020 Vision for Wildlife aims to place nature’s recovery at the forefront of tackling the climate emergency - for wildlife itself, for the natural services it provides and for everyone’s wellbeing. Together we can make sure that future generations living in Herefordshire will be able to enjoy the sense of wonder and well-being that nature offers. www.herefordshirewt.org