Continued >> LOVE YOUR RIVER STOUR

metres of new hedgerow and enhanced 210 metres of existing hedgerows through underplanting and filling in gaps within the hedgerow, with species such as hawthorn, alder buckthorn, common buckthorn, guelder rose, rowan and hazel, and laid 25 metres of ancient but overgrown hedgerow using traditional hedgelaying methods.

Volunteers

Over 65 dedicated and hardworking volunteers contributed over 2,500 hours to this phase of the project building friendships and learning new skills whilst making a difference to the wild spaces and wildlife in their local area. Volunteers have supported with coppicing hazel, thinning woodland areas, strewing green hay, collection and sowing wildflower seeds, clearing encroaching bramble, removing invasive species, clearing pathways and creating and planting wetland areas.

How our volunteers felt after joining us:

"I feel a sense of achievement"

"I’m more engaged with the local community and the environment"

"I feel physically and mentally awakened!"

Community Engagement

Throughout this phase, we delivered over 60 public events with local communities including guided walks, presentations, wildlife surveys, litter picks and bat box building. Students from South and City College in Birmingham supported us with habitat management activities at Stambermill and Seth Sommers and students from King Edward College in Stourbridge took part in plant, bird and otter surveys, coppicing, ground clearing and planting.

As well as activities for the wider public, we delivered ladies-only sessions and well-being activities for vulnerable groups such as those at Riverside House in Stourbridge where participants attended 21 sessions to support with improving the site by controlling invasive species and creating an orchard.

We also delivered four training courses at Wildside Activity Centre and Saltwells Nature Reserve where 16-24 year olds gained a Level 1 Certificates in Tool Use and Species Identification. Participants learned about copping wood, preparing land for planned structures and native flora.

VOLUNTEERS AT SMESTOW BROOK SUPPORTING WITH WETLAND PLANTING

VOLUNTEERS AFTER CLEARING OVERGROWN STEPS TO INCREASE ACCESS AT STAMBERMILL

Our engagement activities benefit the local community by boosting mental and physical wellbeing as well as providing valuable work experience opportunities.

Feedback from our community engagement:

“Very informative… I enjoyed learning names of flowering plants in our beautiful Smestow Nature Valley”

“I like litter picking, it makes me feel good when we leave the place clean”

“The students liked looking at the nests and were talking about the skull when they got into the bus at the end of the day”

“I have been to Stourbridge many times but never knew about the beautiful area you introduced us to.”

“It has inspired me to look for careers in the environment and conservation.”

School Engagement

We delivered sessions for a year 5 group at Uplands Junior School in Finchfield, Wolverhampton and a year 3 group at Russell’s Hall Primary School in Dudley to teach them about human impacts on waterways. The children learnt about their local waterways, the wonderful wildlife habitats that the project aims to protect and enhance, and even found out about wastewater and what should not be flushed by making their own “sewage soup” and attempting to filter it!

Uplands Junior School said: Thank you for a fantastic workshop with our Year 5. Many of the children since their workshop have been making an effort to recycle plastic and to ensure their families are not putting oil down the drain. The whole workshop opened the eyes of pupils and staff on the importance of our local waterways and what they can do to help, especially helping the wildlife.

Mrs Pope from Russell’s Hall Primary School said:

The River Ranger sessions delivered by Sophie and Kasia from the Wildlife Trust were excellent and the children in year 3 thoroughly enjoyed them. We learned about the importance of how to keep water clean and caring for our local environment. We hope the Wildlife Trust will return again.

Survey

Throughout this phase of the project, we ran a survey to find out what local communities knew and felt about the River Stour and its tributaries and the issues affecting it. 313 people took part in the initial survey providing us with valuable insights and opinions such as

• 92% visited the area in a year

• 86% felt that the river should be protected

• The most commonly spotted species were heron, dragonflies and kingfisher

• 58% were interested in getting involved in practical volunteering

• 20% don’t visit the river because of access issues

Most importantly, in the follow up survey, we found that awareness of issues affecting the river had improved. For example, in the initial survey 45% of respondents were aware of the issue of waste products being poured down drains which increased to 62% in the follow up survey and only 13% knew about the issues caused by de-icer and screen wash, which increased to

25% in the follow up survey. The post survey included participants reporting that they most enjoyed ‘seeing the impact of the habitat works on people and wildlife’, ‘making a difference to the area’ and ‘working together as a community’.

Plans for 2023-2024

Thanks to funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority Community Green Grants Fund, we have launched a new phase of the project, which will run from April 2023 to March 2024. We are thrilled to be working with Dudley Council and Sandwell Council on new project sites at Corngreaves Nature Reserve in Cradley and Bobs and Mears Coppice in Lye. We will be working to restore and enhance ancient, plantation and secondary woodlands along the river corridor as well creating species-rich grassland, treating and removing invasive species along the riverbank, identifying and helping to tackle pollution into the river as well as enhancing access across the sites where appropriate. Engagement is a key aspect of the project and we will be hosting events such as guided walks and species surveys throughout the year. In addition, we will engage with young people by working with local schools and providing training opportunities.

Find out more

Visit our project webpage to watch our project film, download guides to take action from home and find out how to get involved with our volunteer days or for any other information drop us an email at LYRS@bbcwildlife.org.uk bbcwildlife.org.uk/LoveYourRiverStour