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29 August 2006
A brighter future for Northamptonshire's wildflowers and otters
Funders dig deep to help local wildlife across the county
The Wildlife Trust is delighted to have received £23,222 from SITA Trust, through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, through its Enriching Nature fund for the exciting 'North Northants Limestone Grassland Project'. This project involves the restoration and management of lowland calcareous grassland at Old Sulehay, Collyweston Quarries SSSI and Yarwell Dingle. The project will conserve and enhance 8% of the limestone grassland to benefit species of local and national priority such as hairy rock-cress and common whorl snail. Volunteers recruited from the local communities will carry out many of the conservation tasks.
Also in Northamptonshire, rare otters living near Rushden have a more secure future, thanks to a grant of £4,300 from the Carillion Natural Habitats Fund. The Trust was awarded the grant following support from the local Carillion-URS office in Kettering. The project includes three important nature reserves - Ditchford Lakes and Meadows, Higham Ferrers and Wilson's Pits - where otters have been recorded recently. The grant will fund work to identifying and map all river and wetland habitats in order to better protect sites and also offer ecological and land management advice to local landowners. Additionally, marginal willows will be pollarded to prolong their life. Volunteers, including Carillion staff, will construct an artificial otter holt using the branches cut from the willows. The project will also fund two training workshops for people keen to learn more about the otters and wildlife in the Nene Valley.