Page 31 - The Land Trust Annual Review 2018
P. 31

Environment and biodiversity                                            Land Trust Annual Review 2018

                                                                                Green Angels
                                                                                warming up
                                                                                around the fire
                                                                                at Countess
                                                                                of Chester
                                                                                Country Park






















                                                    Green Angels
                                                    Our Green Angels programme celebrated the
                                                    end of a great first year on sites in Warrington
                                                    and South Yorkshire with the work done by the
                                                    volunteers having a significant impact on the
                                                    environment where they were working.

                                                    Not only have the volunteers created woodland
                                                    meadow areas to increase biodiversity, but at
                                                    our site in Great Sankey, a population of Willow
                                                    tits, an endangered species, were discovered
                                                    during a wildlife survey.

                                                    New species
                                                    Many of the UK’s native species are in
                                                    decline but with careful management and
 The value of green spaces to the environment   Our green   Protecting communities  encouragement even the smallest of species
 cannot be overestimated. Our parks, nature   spaces protect   As part of our service charge site at Upton   can become havens for wildlife. Some highlights
 reserves and urban spaces create places for   we manage the Sustainable Urban Drainage   this year include 100 species of moth inhabiting
 nature to flourish, but equally provide vital   communities    Systems (SuDS). SuDS are used in all types of   our site at Haig in Whitehaven, while a new
 mitigation against flooding and pollution,   and allow    development to provide a natural approach to   species of bee has been identified at Greenwich
 protecting communities as well as wildlife.  wildlife to thrive  managing drainage and prevent water pollution   Peninsula Ecology Park. The small headed
           and flooding in urban areas.             resin bee (Heriades rubicola) is now officially
 Our work allows us to conserve and protect         recognised as a new species for Britain.
 these areas while building resilience and   Our SuDS at Upton in Northampton, really
 creating places for communities and nature to   proved their worth earlier this year, when
 enjoy for the long term.  very heavy rainfall in the area caused flash   BioBlitz and new species
           flooding. The properties at Upton could have   Over the last 12 months we have run 129
           been seriously affected had it not been for the   BioBlitz events across our sites to enable us to
           effective management of the SuDS, which held   monitor and protect species and work with the
           the water back and protected the properties until   community to unlock their understanding of
           the worst of the rainfall was over and the rain   the natural environment and the species they
           water had subsided.                      live alongside.


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