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APPEALS
Shropshire Wildlife Trust relies on the generosity of its members and other supporters.
Every year we run specific appeals to support our work, often to raise funds to finance new nature reserve purchases or to help particular species of wildlife.
The Trust has been in existence for over 40 years and undertakes to look after its nature reserves for ever, so donations are very welcome at any time.
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Online donations can be made here.
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Floods in Shrewsbury or Ironbridge wreak havoc and misery. But floods in the flatlands upriver can be spectacular, transforming the landscape into a different world - and one which suits wildlife beautifully.
For years the Trust has campaigned for intelligent water catchment management as part of the solution to the River Severn's increasing tendency to flood. By slowing down the rush of water tumbling off the Welsh mountains, towns downstream may be spared some of the wretchedness of flooding, while wetland birds in the old floodplains where the rivers Severn and Vyrnwy meet might be given a chance of recovery.
Now we have an opportunity to show how this would work.
Land opportunity
The Trust has long cherished plans for a wetland project in the Severn Vyrnwy area but funding and land purchase opportunities had not yet materialised. Then earlier this year, the chance arose to purchase a 45-acre landholding in the floodplain known as Holly Banks, near Melverley and the Trust was fortunate to receive a significant grant from the Waterloo Foundation towards the price. We delved into our financial reserves to meet the total sum needed and a deal was swiftly concluded; the land was bought.
Watery meadows
Fish meadow, Duck Lane, Stork's Field. These old field names, nearby to Holly Banks, tell the story of Melverley's long association with water and flooding. It is the Trust's plan to embrace the very nature of the place and throw a lifeline to the wetland birds that used to thrive here, but which have declined steeply in recent years.
With its dense hedgerows and grand old ash and oak trees, this tranquil landscape appears at first sight to have escaped the harsher management practices used elsewhere. But within the fields themselves, extensive land drainage has challenged the character of the place, with negative consequences for birds and mixed success for agriculture.
An experiment
This is a very exciting project. Unlike most of our nature reserves, where we are striving to conserve the wild plants and other vegetation already present, at Holly Banks we are starting something new. Our aim is to keep the ground wet through spring and summer, which will be good for lapwing and curlew; then allow the water to seep away in the autumn, so it's ready to soak up winter floodwater.
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Lapwings
The beauty of Holly Banks is two-fold. First of all, the land is right in the heart of the lapwing project area the Trust set up five years ago, supported by the Lapwing Appeal. Financial support was given by the Trust to four farms, helping to maintain the lapwing's fragile breeding population, while the encouragement and assistance from Trust-funded lapwing project farm advisers contributed to a high uptake locally of agri-environment schemes. Secondly, the land is bordered by a deep ditch, giving us opportunities to manage water levels. This not only gives us the means of raising water levels on our new land, it also means we can prevent it flooding our neighbours' - a vital consideration.
So what is the plan?
We will be taking advice from experts in many fields. We want to get this place right for birds and plants and to manage the water and land in a way that is sustainable and useful. Forty-five acres is not a big landholding, but properly managed, it might be able to hold back enough water to keep the floodwater down by a crucial few millimetres. That could mean the difference between homes in Shrewsbury staying dry or swirling in mud.
On our own, the impact of our efforts will be small. But if we can demonstrate the effectiveness of good water management, other landowners might be encouraged (with financial incentives) to extend the scheme. Holly Banks will be an exciting and interesting case study, not the whole answer.
Will you join us in making this project work?
Shropshire Wildlife Trust has had to borrow £25,000 from its financial reserves to buy the land. We need to put that money back - to keep it for rainy days ahead or to give us flexibility to act fast in future situations when needed. The Holly Banks project is a long-cherished dream with real potential. Support would, as always, be very much appreciated. Donations can be made by secure server here.
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