Welcome to the first blog post for the Trent and Tame River Valleys Futurescape.
More, better, bigger and connected wetlands are at the heart of the vision for the Futurescape. We have a way of delivering this through the restoration of mineral sites. This is landscape-scale conservation where I like to think we are all talking the talk and walking the walk. Fantastic reserves have been created by mineral operators, planners and conservation bodies working together on mineral site restorations at Middleton Lakes, Croxall Lakes, Willington Gravel Pits, Attenborough and Langford Lowfields, to name check a few of the sites along the rivers Trent and Tame.
The Futurescape team met earlier this week at Middleton Hall, which has connections to the pioneering naturalist John Ray. A year ago we met with national RSPB and Nature After Minerals (NAM) colleagues to discuss our vision and plans for delivery in the same building. What has happened?
Since then we met with other partners back in the summer to discuss the main principles of restoration of mineral sites for wildlife. County Councils are now consulting on their draft Mineral Plans and it offers us and our partners the opportunity to promote restoration of sites for wildlife. Biodiversity led restoration is a principle of the draft Nottinghamshire Minerals Plan and will be a mechanism for delivering more high quality wildlife sites along the Trent.
In recent years, restored mineral sites in the Futurescape have had breeding marsh harriers and avocets, and booming bitterns - species re-colonising after absences of hundreds of years. There is more and better quality habitat for otters, eels, dragonflies and much more wildlife. This is giving nature a big home.
Finally, some of the Futurescape team.
From left to right – Jo Hickman (Fundraising) , Adrian Southern (Futurescapes), John Mills (Nature After Minerals), Frank Lucas (Conservation) and Michael Copleston (Reserves).