December 04 is recognised globally as World Wildlife Conservation Day. It aims to raise awareness of conservation issues and encourages communities to look after ecosystems and wildlife of all kinds.
Improving and maintaining the spaces and habitats around Derwent Reservoir is a key priority for Northumbrian Water. We work with Durham Wildlife Trust who manage these spaces for the benefit of our visitors and wildlife.
Laura Tedstone, Heart of Durham Project Officer talks about some of the initiatives in place.
Working with an army of enthusiastic volunteers, the Heart of Durham Project manages the land to increase biodiversity by both restoring and conserving the natural environment. Set within the UNESCO Global Geopark, North Pennines, the habitats around Derwent Waterside Park are varied. They comprise grasslands, woodlands and heathlands that form a connective corridor for wildlife.
Maintaining biodiversity in our natural environment is key to protecting the homes of our wildlife, including protected species like roe deer and red squirrels.
There are several areas and key projects around the reservoir, these include:
This area is a good example of heathland with several species of heather and bilberry alongside other species, including adders and butterflies. To keep the area healthy and diverse we employ traditional methods to help us keep fast-growing species like bracken in check. We also create new habitats, including hibernacula that adders absolutely love.
Meadows are an important part of our natural ecosystems, They support pollinators and provide cover and homes for smaller animals and insects. We are restoring the meadow at Millshield to improve its flowering plant community and sward variation. The overall aim is to increase flowering plants for pollinators, improve variation in the height of grasses for ground nesting birds and invertebrates. The addition of scrapes and ponds provide food for foraging wading birds.
Around it, the woodland is planted up with a deciduous mix of locally sourced trees to replace the ash which have been removed due to ash dieback disease. To support this, our volunteers have:
The bird hide is cleaned and maintained by the Durham Wildlife Trust and was painted with wood preservative a few years ago by the volunteers. It is open to the public on purchase of a key. The areas around the bird hide are nature reserves that have no public access and comprise, hazel coppice, a lowland bird woodland and woodland pasture.
Red squirrels are often seen in the mixed woodland. There are also breeding barn owls in the newly made nest box of a large oak in the woodland pasture. Our volunteers take part in:
Carrick’s Corner is a species rich acid grassland which has over a 1000 Common Twayblade orchids and other nectar sources for pollinators. This meadow is managed by the volunteers who scythe and rake it on a yearly basis after the flowering season. This creates a variation in sward length and bare open areas allowing seed to set each year. Ragwort and creeping thistle are removed from the wetland and disused carpark areas and the public right of way is maintained by the volunteers who have dug in and made steps for safer access.
This area comprises a meadow with ponds and scrapes, newly planted trees and a mixed deciduous woodland planted up on a previously felled plantation. The volunteers carryout a range of habitat management including:
Additional planting in the woodland ensures diversity in the natural environment along this stretch of shoreline. To help the trees become established and to protect their delicate and delicious bark from our local population of roe deer, the trees had plastic shelters set around them. The trees have since outgrown this protection, which have now been removed from the environment and recycled by the ranger team at Waterside Park.
To celebrate Earth Day on 22 April 2024 members of the public planted up wildlife friendly trees. The diverse range of trees were chosen to provide food support pollinators, birds and mammals throughout the year.
We are fortunate to work with tenant farmers around the reservoir who have laid over 100m of hedging. Hedges provide a protected corridor allowing wildlife to move freely from one space to another.
Ensuring visitors to Derwent Waterside Park enjoy and encounter a wide range of species is key to making their experience enjoyable. Our conservation efforts also ensure the natural environment is preserved and enhanced for the benefit of our local wildlife.
