Funding boost for meadow project
Plans to restore and improve key habitat within WWT Washington's nature reserve have been given a welcome funding boost.
Our Making Meadows project has been awarded £26,363 by SITA Trust, which provides grants through the Landfill Communities Fund.
The project will restore and create six lowland meadows (UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Habitat) here at WWT Washington; an award-winning wetland nature reserve on the banks of the River Wear.
A botanical survey carried out in 2013 revealed our existing meadows to have a high biodiversity value, including a number of important species historically associated with old hay meadows such as greater burnet, betony and pepper saxifrage. They are also a key habitat for the reserve’s breeding lapwings (BAP species).
The survey also highlighted, however, that the meadows were losing condition and becoming degraded.
So a bid was made to secure funding that would allow essential habitat restoration and management to be carried out, providing suitable conditions for an array of biodiversity.
Gill Pipes, centre manager at WWT Washington, said: “We are thrilled that SITA Trust has generously awarded this funding to our Making Meadows project.
“The opportunity to improve our meadows for both wildlife and people is fantastic and something that the team here at the centre is particularly excited about.”
Jools Granville of SITA Trust added: “We are delighted to have been able to support this project through the Landfill Communities Fund.
“SITA Trust provides grants through the Landfill Communities Fund. This important source of funding has been available since 1997 and has provided such worthy projects with more than £1.3 billion.”
