Wild communities - Worcester Canal Group

The Worcester and Biringham Canal runs through the heart of the city of Worcester and was once a hive of industrial activity. Back in 2014 residents came together to improve the canal as a resource for the community and wildlife to enjoy. The Worcester Canal Group was born “to enhance the amenity value of the canal for the benefit of the local community and visitors”. Great for the community and great for the otters and kingfisher seen regularly.

Over the years members of the Worcester Canal Group have organised monthly litter picks, a music festival in Lansdowne Park, wildlife monitoring, a wildlife week and the planting of fruit trees along the towpath. The trees are thriving and the apples and pears are there for the community to enjoy.

The Trust's Wilder Worcester project first engaged with Worcester Canal Group in the late autumn of 2020 and helped to support a series of events planned for the year. Particularly memorable was the dawn chorus walk, watching the moorhens wake up as late-night revellers walked home along the tow path. The group took part in the Bugs, Bees and Broccoli survey in the adjacent Lansdowne Allotments, finding slow-worms, one of Worcester’s iconic species. This survey is run by the Allotment Association to monitor biodiversity.