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Wetland work helps wildlife and people

Creating a wetland scrape by Emily Williams

Work has been completed that will help to reduce downstream flooding and create habitat for wildlife.

A shallow scrape has been created and a field ditch has been widened at the headwaters of the Barbourne Brook at Lower Smite Farm, headquarters of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.

The scrapes will help to hold back water and slow the flow in heavy rainfall events whilst also attracting wetland wildlife such as frogs, newts, dragonflies and birds.

Jasmine Walters, the Trust’s Wildlife and Farming Officer, explained “This is a great piece of work that demonstrates how we can help both people and wildlife with relatively simple solutions that work with nature.

“Works like this are something that many landowners can do on their land to help alleviate the impacts of flooding and drought.

“The scrapes will help to hold water and slow the flow of water down the Barbourne Brook, helping to reduce problems for residents in Worcester. At the same time, they’ll provide a range of wet and muddy habitats for wildlife. Many species of wildlife are adapted to ephemeral water bodies so, although they may not hold onto as much water as deeper ponds in dry conditions, they’ll still be invaluable.”

In-field ditch with reprofiled bank by Emily Williams

Ditch enhancement work by Emily Williams

The ditch enhancements and new scrape follow on from previous work and more is planned to provide additional benefits for wildlife and to further help to reduce downstream flooding.

The Trust works with land managers across the county to advise on and provide environmental enhancements that benefit landowners, residents and wildlife alike.

The work is part of a series of measures that Worcestershire Wildlife Trust has been working on with Worcestershire County Council’s Natural Flood Management team.

Emily Williams, Catchment Partnership Agricultural Advisor for the Trust, added “We’re really grateful for funding and advice from the team at the Worcestershire Natural Flood Management Project to make these ideas come to life. The project is funded by Defra and supported across Worcestershire by the Environment Agency.

“Natural Flood Management uses wetland habitats to help reduce flooding and improve water quality downstream.

“Relatively inexpensive measures, such as creating a shallow scrape on the edge of farmland, work collectively to make a significant benefit. This can be particularly effective where works take place in the headwaters of small brooks and streams like the Barbourne Brook.”

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