Waterways in need of cash aid, says trust (From Worcester News)

Waterways in need of cash aid, says trust

7:50am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News By Neil Watts

A NEWLY created trust is appealing for help to secure the future of some of Worcestershire’s waterways.

The Canal and River Trust has launched its first appeal to raise funds to protect and enhance 50 of the nation’s historic canals and rivers, and two of them are here in the county.

Some £750 is needed to improve the currently redundant balancing pond at the Diglis Basin, Worcester, by removing an invasive species of plant and replacing them with native plants to attract wildlife.

Ecologist Dr Mark Robinson said: “The balancing pond at Diglis has been suffering from overgrowing plants and the accumulation of litter and invasive plant debris for some time now.

“If we can raise £750 we can make a huge difference to the pond by clearing out all the rubbish and placing in plants that will encourage wildlife to come back to the pond.”

Another £5,000 is needed to manage the Coney Meadow reed bed, which was created in 2008 during the restoration of the Droitwich canals.

It provides a vital habitat for local wildlife and the support will encourage threatened species such as reed warblers, reed buntings, grasshoppers, otters and kingfishers to flourish.

Dr Robinson said: “The reed bed, surrounding grassland and trees are starting to become an important wildlife reserve by the Droitwich Canals.

“Already, we are starting to see many exciting and threatened species using the beds, but we need support to help us make improvements as well as managing the existing reed beds.”

The trust has taken over from British Waterways and the Waterways Trust in England and Wales, with a 15-year contract signed with the Government and support already pledged by Google and the People’s Postcode Lottery.

All donations will be spent directly on conserving, restoring, and enhancing local canals or rivers.

To donate to the Diglis Basin project, text POND to 70007 or to back the Coney Meadow reed bed, text REED to 70007.

For more information, go to canalrivertrust.org.uk.