Funding boost for Derbyshire beauty spot

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been granted vital funding worth almost £13,000 to restore the wetlands at Erewash Meadows Nature Reserve.
Erewash Meadows Nature ReserveErewash Meadows Nature Reserve
Erewash Meadows Nature Reserve

Project leaders say that the ‘generous’ grant will enable the trust to ensure visitors can have a ‘much better experience and spend more time enjoying the wildlife at this important reserve’.

Erewash Meadows - which sits on the Nottinghamshire border close to Jacksdale - is one of Derbyshire’s most important wetland sites and is home to a wide range of species.

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But in recent years water vole habitats have been disturbed by grazing cattle which often go to the water to drink, and marsh areas have become overgrown due to the loss of open water and the vital shallow ditches needed for numerous species to thrive.

But thanks to a grant of £12,726 from Viridor Credits Environmental Company under the Landfill Communities Fund, the trust will carry out a restoration of the wetlands, which will include fencing to keep cattle in areas where they are needed, as well as a restoration of the shallow ditch network for the birds and mammals.

Viridor Credits’s operations manager, Gareth Williams, said: “This project is a great example of how a modest award can make a massive difference to the community.”

To avoid disturbing the bird nesting grounds during breeding season, work will not commence until August and is expected to finish by September.