We began running volunteer tasks as part of Links with Nature at the beginning of August. The month has flown by and we have made huge progress across several of the 13 Coalfield sites involved in the project. We started with a small (but keen) group of three volunteers and have grown through the month to groups of six and seven, with more volunteers signing up to join us in the coming weeks.

As you can see from the before and after photographs, our small groups have achieved a big impact, completing tasks that improve access and habitat diversity at Elemore Vale, Copt Hill, and Hetton Park. We have much more planned for these sites and will soon be visiting others within the Coalfield as we grow our volunteer base and start to deliver interventions in partnership with Wear Rivers Trust.

We have been using scythes to cut overgrown stands of rosebay willowherb and rank grasses at Elemore Vale. Removing these areas of dense vegetation will allow an area of acid grassland to recover and improve as we continue to manage it over the coming two years. We have also been opening up pathways and clearing rides through the site to improve access and make space to encourage regrowth of more diverse herbs and wildflowers.

Copt Hill is predominantly grassland, which provides a beautiful showing of wildflowers each year. We have been clearing small trees and scrub that has rapidly been encroaching a valuable area of calcareous grassland at the heart of the site. We will continue working to secure and improve the quality of grassland habitats across the hill.

Working in Hetton Park, our volunteers have been able to clear a large area of grassland that had been completely overtaken by bracken. Their amazing efforts will allow the grassland to begin recovering and, with continued management, develop into a wildflower meadow. Our work in the park will continue as we improve paths through the woodland and make efforts to combat invasive species.

The Coalfields have a fantastic network of greenspaces, providing areas where wildlife can thrive, and people can connect with nature and enjoy being outdoors. We are inviting people living locally to the 13 Links with Nature sites to join us as conservation volunteers.

If you are interested in playing an integral role in helping wildlife near you and your community, please get in touch. It is a wonderful way to socialise, learn new skills, and appreciate the natural world. We have made a fantastic start throughout August and are looking forward to continuing to improve these greenspaces with support from the community.

Volunteer

Get in touch

Chris Knox-Wilson, Links with Nature Greenspaces Officer:

07955 274 108 / cknox-wilson@durhamwt.co.uk

Links with Nature will be delivered by a partnership between Durham Wildlife Trust, Sunderland City Council and Wear Rivers Trust. Links with Nature will deliver a significant habitat and access improvements in collaboration with local communities thanks to funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sunderland City Council, North East Community Forest and Northumbrian Water’s Bluespaces programme.