Restoration scheme begins at 10,000-year-old bog

The location is home to birds including curlews, kingfishers and herons, with other residents including dragonflies and bats

Volunteers have launched a community-funded project aiming to restore a 10,000-year-old bog in Bradford.

Work has started at Bingley North Bog, close to Bingley Five Rise Locks, with the scheme aiming to attract more wildlife and visitors.

Bradford Council, which owns the land, has struck up a partnership with the Aire Rivers Trust charity and the local Dawoodi Bohra community which is funding the initiative.

Council officers and volunteers from both groups have started to remove invasive species and prepare the ground for new footpaths.

The site is one of eight included in the recently launched Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve, with the bog project also aiming to plant 1,000 new trees.

The scheme is part of Project Rise, a philanthropic initiative by the the Dawoodi Bohras, with tens of thousands of pounds being spent on the improvements.

It aims to help protect the habitat, mitigate flood risk, increase biodiversity and improve public access to the reserve.

The Dawoodi Bohras are a distinct community within the Shia branch of Islam, with approximately one million followers worldwide.

The scheme is part of Project Rise, a philanthropic initiative by the the Dawoodi Bohras, and is being supported by the Aire Rivers Trust and Bradford Council

The local Dawoodi Bohra community have been in Bradford for more than 50 years, with spokesman Raaj Cochin calling conservation work a "fundamental part of who we are".

"In the Quran it states that we should preserve and enhance our environment," he said.

"One of the reasons we have chosen to support the restoration of Bingley North Bog is that peatlands are the largest natural carbon store on land and help mitigate climate change."

Nick Milsom, Aire Rivers Trust senior project officer, said: "One of the things we've identified is extending the pathway down to a feature which is going to be a screen.

"That will be for people to come and watch the wildlife and get a closer view of it."

Rachel Forsyth, the trust's chief executive, said the scheme showed "what is possible when we work together".

"We are proud to partner with Bradford Council and the Dawoodi Bohra community to restore this vital habitat for both wildlife and people," she said.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, from the local authority, thanked the Dawoodi Bohra community for its donation "which has made this all possible".

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