Going green at the Tees Barrage
THE Tees Barrage Park in Stocktonon-Tees celebrated its first accolade, the prestigious Green Flag Award, by lighting up green at the end of October.
Spanning 550 hectares (5.5sq km), the park incorporates four key sites along a half-mile stretch of the River Tees: the Tees Barrage, International White Water Centre and Air Trail, Maze Hill Nature Reserve and Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve.
The Canal & River Trust, which looks after Tees Barrage, has been working with Tees Active, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and Stockton Council to formally establish Tees Barrage Park and three of the four key sites within the park, which were constructed 25 years ago alongside the building of the barrage.
Lizzie Dealey, partnerships and external relationships manager at CRT applied for the award on behalf of the group. She explained: “A Green Flag Award comes from a lot of hard work and I’d like to thank and congratulate everyone who works or volunteers for Canal & River Trust, Tees Active and Tees Valley Wildlife Trust for their efforts to maintain this attractive, diverse landscape and look after the amazing wildlife that lives here.
“With record numbers of people discovering their local parks, woodlands and waterways as places to exercise, take a breath of fresh air and find a moment of peace during the pandemic, it is vital that we look after our blue and green spaces. So, wrap up warm and take time out to explore Tees Barrage Park for yourself and look out for wildlife along the way, from seals to wetland birds.”