Calaminarian grassland
This is a strange, sparse habitat of grassland growing on old mining tracks and slag heaps, on river gravels and naturally exposed metal-rich soils in the mountains. Only the toughest metal-loving…
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Chwilio
My regeneration
30 years ago, if Jeremy had fallen in the river then he’d have been more worried about being poisoned than drowned! A 1980s trawl survey found just one fish in the Billingham reach of the Tees,…
House martin
As its name suggests, the house martin can be spotted nesting in the eaves of houses in our towns and villages. Its intricate mud nests take days to build and are often returned to and used in…
Meet the team - Maddy
Hi, I’m Maddy and I’ve joined (or returned to) the team as Communications Officer. My journey with WTSWW has been an interesting one, going from volunteer, to intern, to the Board of Trustees, and…
Dowrog Common
An extensive tract of wet and dry heath with pools and fen, in the upper reaches of the River Alun. This diverse site supports over 350 species of flowering plants including the Lesser Butterfly…
My commute
Richard could stick to the road on his commute, but taking a shortcut through the woods is far more relaxing, even if he does get muddy trousers.
My insurance
When he’s not studying at Cumbria University, Ian enjoys volunteering at Thacka Beck. As well as being great for wildlife, this wetland nature reserve helps protects Penrith from flooding when the…
My flood defence
Bev is grateful to live down the road from Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, a 210ha wetland site which stores excess water from the River Torne during times of high
rainfall. This saved her…
My water filter
Duncan helps to manage the pockets of peatland at Bell Crag Flow, near Newcastle. The ancient landscapes that he works on are around 10,000 years old. These sites are great for wildlife but they…
My world
John has worked in fisheries management for over 25 years. He has seen our waterways at their best – and their worst. He knows firsthand how devastating unhealthy rivers can be for wildlife and…
My playground
Sam is a regular at Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve, where he loves to crawl and walk in the grass and you never know who you might meet. The world is one big playground full of exciting sights,…
Mitigation and Compensation
When wildlife could be harmed by development, local planning authorities should follow a step-wise approach to reduce that harm, known as the ‘mitigation hierarchy’. This is required in National Planning Policy.