Residents lead the way for wildlife
FROM frogs to hedgehogs, snails to starlings, wildlife is all around and this year local residents have been getting stuck in to help support wildlife in Manchester.
Focusing on four key sites for wildlife and their surrounding areas, locals have been transforming their green spaces and making new wildlife discoveries right on their doorstep.
Bailey’s Wood, Boggart Hole Clough, Broadhurst Clough and Moston Fairway in North Manchester are all Sites of Biological Importance and are hugely important for much of our beloved city wildlife, including owls, frogs and butterflies.
They are also within walking distance of thousands of people, offering real opportunities for Manchester residents to be able to transform their local landscape and see positive changes for wildlife on their own doorstep.
Since the project began in March this year 75 volunteers have contributed their time to improving these green spaces, removing 39 bags of litter from Bailey’s Wood and removing invasive plant species from Boggart Hole Clough.
People have also been able to enjoy free events at these wildlife sites led by The Wildlife Trust’s My Wild City team.
Through taking part in nature walks, bug hunts and pond dipping sessions, people have been able to learn more about their local wildlife and help collect vital records for each of the sites.
Over 750 wildlife records of nearly 400 different species have been by collected by individuals, families and school children since March this year, including smooth newts, daubenton’s bats and the nursery web spider which have never before been recorded at these sites.
In order for nature to thrive, it needs to be able to safely move from one wildlife site to another and linking the landscape is one of the most important things we can be doing to give nature a helping hand.
These four fantastic wildlife sites in North Manchester are divided by residential areas, but through greening their gardens and yards, locals can help make a huge difference.
The past five months have shown just how much nature relies on the local community to be able to support it – and how much joy people can get from spending quality time outdoors, the results are truly inspiring.
This work has been carried out by The
Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside’s My Wild City team in partnership with Manchester City Council thanks to funding from Cadent Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn.
To find out more, visit: www.lancswt.org.uk/ north-manchesternature-network.