Nature reserve project in Northumberland gets backing from water company

A three-year initiative that is working to improve the habitat quality and complexity at East Chevington Nature Reserve has received a £10,000 boost.
View of East Chevington Nature Reserve. Picture by Steven Morris.View of East Chevington Nature Reserve. Picture by Steven Morris.
View of East Chevington Nature Reserve. Picture by Steven Morris.

The funding from Northumbrian Water's Water Environment scheme has been allocated to the Catch My Drift project at Druridge Bay.

The Northumberland Wildlife Trust scheme aims to improve the site through the management and creation of priority habitats, enhancement of wildlife-watching facilities, improvement of public access routes, and creation of both on-site and virtual interpretation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Explaining how the money is being used, Catch My Drift project officer Sophie Webster said: “We are delighted to receive the additional funding from Northumbrian Water. It will help us to improve the woodland, meadow and reedbed habitats on the site, encouraging a wider variety of plant and animal species.

“Managing the level and quality of water at East Chevington is an important part of the project and the funds have helped us to recently install an important sluice gate on one of the lakes.”

East Chevington has two large water bodies, which are surrounded by a significant area of reedbed.

This habitat is identified within the Northumberland Biodiversity Action Plan as extremely uncommon and East Chevington is named as the only large complex in the county.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Northumbrian Water’s conservation and land manager, Stuart Pudney, said: “The environment is at the heart of everything we do, and our environmental funding schemes are there to help us support others who are doing amazing things that are benefiting those things that really matter to us and our customers.”

Related topics: