New wildlife route coming to Worcester

The 12-mile route is being created to help protect the environment and keep people fit

A new 12-mile circular wildlife route is coming to Worcester.

The walking and cycling trail will link the city's green spaces and give people a chance to learn about nature while keeping fit, organisers say.

Volunteers from the Worcester Environmental Group are behind the project.

"People have discovered many wonderful green spaces during lockdown," said Paul Snookes from the group.

The entire route will be lined with easy-to-follow instructions catered to walkers, runners, cyclists and those with disabilities, the Local Democracy Reporting Service says.

The trail will include Battenhall Park

Worcester City Council's environment committee will discuss setting aside £15,000 to help mark the route.

It will connect 15 green spaces across Worcester and run past the countryside centre through to Battenhall Park, Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve, The Pitchcroft and the Warndon villages.

In the proposed second phase of the work, volunteers will plant native and fruit trees, plus hedges and flowers, and install bird and bat boxes along with "bug hotels".

Worcester City Council declared a "biodiversity emergency" in 2020 which recognised the need to stop parts of the city filled with wildlife from being destroyed in the future, as well as creating more areas for animals to thrive.