Photo posts installed to capture nature's return to Derby park

Ten viewpoints have been selected for new photo posts

Fixed photo points have been created across a Derby park to capture the changes being brought about by an extensive rewilding project.

Allestree Park is now in its third year of a sweeping scheme to restore habitats and encourage wildlife across its 320 acres.

It has seen an end to mowing across most of the site and a nature-led approach.

Instead, animals and plants change the habitat themselves.

In addition, the project hopes to reintroduce species to the site, such as dung beetles, grasshoppers and water voles.

Earlier this year, £1.1m National Lottery funding was announced to allow Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Derby City Council to continue the project for a further three years.

Volunteers have now worked with the trust and the council's parks team to install 10 fixed-point photography posts across the former golf course site.

Volunteers have been helping the project

A spokesman for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: "Eventually, the public will be able to mount their phone on the post, take a photo, and upload it to compare the same views over time to see how the landscape changes and improves for wildlife.

"We will be running some tests on the technology with the help of Friends of Allestree Park, and then we will open it to everyone."

Dr Jo Smith, CEO of Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: "The changes to the landscape since the project began are incredibly beautiful, with exciting things happening with every changing season.

"There are more butterflies than we have had in years, lots of birdsong, and long swathes of grass filled with wildflowers and colour."