Lower Derwent Valley area nature recovery project

Aim

To enable local parishes to take action for nature recovery - engaging communities to make our local area a nicer healthier place to live.

The Friends of the Lower Derwent Valley was set up in 2015 to conserve, research and promote the Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve (LDV NNR) and surrounding area - one of the most important floodplain grassland sites in the UK. The NNR is home to over 60,000 wintering swans, geese, ducks and wading birds, along with breeding and passage birds, floodplain hay meadows and numerous rare, scarce or local species, many of which use the surrounding farmland, villages and gardens throughout the year. Sadly in these modern times of unprecedented pressure on the natural world, it isn't enough to protect our remaining wildlife within the boundaries of nature reserves and protected sites, but also in the wider area with species requiring homes, food and space to move, seasonally or more recently, in response to climate change.

We are all aware of the ecological and climate emergencies we face and it often seems overwhelming and difficult to know how we might tackle those. It is not possible for any one organisation, group or individual to deliver this in isolation, but instead requires each and everyone of us to get involved and do our bit. Our project, within the wider area surrounding the Lower Derwent Valley NNR, is to work with local parishes and communities to help support their own ideas and projects to aid nature recovery in the area. The type of project we would encourage are things like creating flower-rich hay meadows or grass verges, tree planting, creating orchards, improving school nature areas, declaring and delivering hedgehog friendly villages, creating or improving village ponds, erecting swift and sparrow nest boxes, or tackling non-native species. We don't aim to lead on these initiatives, but instead to support local communities with advice, help and financial support to kick-start their own projects. Support might be in the form of timber for boxes, arranging meetings/workshops, the purchase of seed, plants or tools, and linking groups together with each other and with appropriate equipment. So whether working together as a local village, street or single garden, or working over a 1000 hectares or perhaps just with a single window box, we can come together to help improve our local area for the benefit of both wildlife and local people and live in a nicer, richer and healthier place.  We can do this - all together!

This project successfully funded on 4th October 2023