River Blythe to be restored in ambitious new project

A large section of the River Blythe is to be restored as part of an ambitious new project.

Funded by the Environment Agency and Severn Trent, the Blythe Alive Again project will see Warwickshire Wildlife Trust's Tame Valley Wetlands team working on more than 140 ha of land within the River Blythe SSSI area to create a wide range of habitats.

Some 140 ha of the River Blythe will be restored thanks to the new project (Dean Eades).

The work will be delivered over the next five years and will involve the creation and management of vital wetland habitats, planting of trees, hedges and wildflower meadows, and restoration and re-naturalisation of critical areas of the River Blythe.

This wildlife-focused project will improve the river for amphibians, mammals and fish, increase the number of pollinators by providing much needed food and pollinator corridors and will generally improve the biodiversity in the area, a positive for both wildlife and the local communities.

Community involvement from citizen science opportunities will also contribute to the ongoing monitoring of the area and its species over the course of the project. Andrew Apanasionok, Tame Valley Wetlands Water and Habitats Specialist Officer, said: "We have been taken aback by the hugely positive response to the project proposal we have had from landowners, farmers, river users and other stakeholders in the area.

"We have developed some massively positive relationship with delivery partners. We are very excited to get started on this amazing project which will focus on habitat improvement, creation and monitoring within the river Blythe catchment and the river itself."