Volunteers turn grassland into network of wetlands

Volunteers and landowners are working to restore nature to thousands of acres

Volunteers have created a transformed a grassland into a network of wetlands, hedgerows and woodlands to help wildlife flourish.

The land at Cow Ark in Lancashire's Ribble Valley has been restored as part of a project by the Ribble Rivers Trust and local landowners.

Ditches have been dug, and hedges and trees planted to turn the "low-quality" grassland into "healthy ecosystems" where wildlife can thrive, the charity said.

It is part of a wider effort to restore more than 3,300 hectares (8,154 acres) of habitat in the Ribble Valley.

The Trust said wet ditches and natural flood management measures have been introduced

Areas of woodland have been planted by the volunteers to provide shade, stabilise soils and capture carbon.

The Trust said wet ditches and natural flood management measures have been introduced to slow the flow of rainwater, which helps trap sediment before it reaches rivers, reducing the risk of flooding.

Wildflowers have been planted to support pollinators while log piles and hedges have also been put in place for insects, reptiles and small mammals.

"These changes create a more diverse, robust food chain that supports the entire ecosystem," a charity spokesman said.

He said: "Wildlife now has food and shelter, water quality is improving, carbon is being locked away in vegetation and soil and the land is better equipped to manage floodwater naturally."

The trust received £1.65m from a Species Survival Fund, administered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of DEFRA, to drive nature recovery across the Ribble catchment area.