Residents in Pershore, Worcestershire, and students of Pershore College have sown 50,000 reed seeds as part of a wetland creation scheme at Avon Meadows in Pershore.
The project has become part of a much wider plan by the Wetlands West Partnership to restore large-scale floodplain wetlands along the Severn and Avon rivers through Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The Pershore project covers 24 hectares of floodplain grassland, located on the edge of the town. The newly created pools, ditches and scrapes have already attracted a variety of birds. Once planted with reeds it will further increase biodiversity in the area as well as reduce Pershore’s contribution to flooding and improve water quality in the Avon.
The project, a partnership of organisations including Wychavon District Council, the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, Pershore Market Town Partnership and Pershore College, has involved dozens of local residents. The new wetland has been designed in ongoing consultation with the local community by staff from the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Wychavon District Council, the owner of part of the site. To date the residents have already assisted with a variety of conservation tasks such as installing interpretation panels, resetting control structures, improving paths, clearing and cutting back vegetation, removing litter and much more.
David Shaw, a local resident and Friend of the Avon Meadows, said “This project has really helped bring the community together. It’s great for the environment but it’s also fun to be involved with and at the end of it we’ll have a beautiful and exciting space to visit. Some of us will even be involved in the future management of the wetland.”
Last week residents and students got together at Pershore College nurseries to sow the 50,000 reeds that will be needed in a giant reed planting session in June. The reeds are being grown by Pershore College staff and students, who also collected the seeds locally, and will help with the planting in June.
Jurjen Annen, Water and Wetlands Officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said “This project is great news for the community in Pershore as well as the wildlife in this area. It has been amazing how so many different organisations have become excited about the benefits of this project and contributed either financially, with advice or in person. It would be great if many more local groups and businesses could join us for a few hours of reed planting soon.”
The giant reed planting session will take place over the weekend of June 20th and 21st and will link in with the BBC’s Breathing Places Initiative. The following week will see staff from the different partnerships and a number of local schools plant the remaining reeds.