Community drop-in session for new wastewater
treatment plant in Tarland Village
(http://www.3deevision.org/tarland_intro.asp)
A community drop-in session was held in March 2004 to discuss a new wastewater treatment plant planned for the village of Tarland which, together with the creation of a wetland, will contribute greatly to improving the water quality of the Tarland Burn. The public meeting helped Scottish Water to outline the options for the new plant and gave the public a chance to express their views. The session also provided the Aberdeenshire Council with the opportunity to put forward its options for river flow management and allowed the local community group, the Tarland Development Group, to issue its proposal for a community wetland within the village.
Dunfermline Eastern Expansion (DEX) Community Engagement Project
(http://sudsnet.abertay.ac.uk/26thSTANDINGCONFERENCEONSTORMWATERCONTROL.htm)
The DEX Community Engagement Project is aimed at raising awareness of the role, benefits and biodiversity of the drainage ponds on the eastern edge of Dunfermline in Fife, Scotland. DEX stands for Dunfermline Eastern Expansion and this area is currently the subject of massive development for housing, shopping, business and leisure uses. The idea of the project is to involve the local community in understanding and appreciating the ponds, which are a valuable landscape attraction and a habitat for many wildlife species.
UK Rivers Network
(http://ukrivers.net)
The UK Rivers Network (UKRN) is an informal network of groups and individuals interested in rivers and related issues across England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It acts as an information interchange for the UK rivers community. Although networking is the main focus, it is also involved in campaigning, educational activities and long-term policy work.
The UKRN is interested in all aspects of the freshwater environment, including canals, lakes, estuaries and wetlands. Activities include ecological protection, recreational uses of water, water quality issues, flood defence, impacts of climate change, implications of new national and European legislation/policy, river regeneration projects and developments that adversely affect rivers or groundwater.
Useful items on the UKRN website include:
- Adopt-a-river: which provides information on how to become involved in use and conservation of rivers and streams local to you
(http://www.ukrivers.net/adopt-a-river.html).
- Local river-based organisations: a list of local river based organisations
(http://www.ukrivers.net/network.html)
An International Rivers Network also exists and can be found at:
(http://www.irn.org/)
Ythan Project
(http://www.ythan.org.uk/)
The Ythan project is a partnership which aims to involve local people in protecting, restoring and enhancing the River Ythan in Scotland. Project activities included assisting farmers to undertake nutrient budgets on their farms to help reduce the risk of losing nutrients through leaching into watercourses, producing water management plans for farmers to show them how they can protect the water resources on their farm, and undertaking river restoration actions at key sites around the catchment.
The project ran from August 2001 to January 2005 and was funded by the EU LIFE programme. Participating organisations were Aberdeenshire Council, Forest Enterprise, Formartine Partnership, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, River Restoration Centre, SEPA, SNH, Ythan District Fisheries Board.
Thames21
(http://www.thames21.org.uk)
Thames21 is an environmental charity working with communities to create clean, safe and sustainable waterside environments on London’s rivers, tributaries and canals.
Thames21 achieve their aims by removing litter (10,000 tonnes of litter have been removed from London’s rivers and canals over the last 10 years), creating new habitats for wildlife, installing artwork, promoting safe access to waterways, removing graffiti, carrying out monitoring, research and education projects and involving local communities to promote sustainable behaviour and prevent pollution.
The Stennies Water and Grange Burn projects
(http://www.gallowayfisheriestrust.org/stennies_water_project.htm)
This project was a joint project conducted by the Galloway Fisheries Trust and the Esk and Liddle Fisheries Improvement Association with funding from the Wild Trout Trust (formerly Wild Trout Society). The objective was to improve the water and streambed quality which was suffering due to sediment deposition in steam gravels and pools. Water improvement was achieved largely through bank stabilisation using natural, rather than engineered techniques.
The aquatic habitat was improved, as was the stream margin habitat, and the income achievable from the fishing. Hence, multiple benefits were achieved from a local initiative.
Water for Wildlife Project
(http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=environment:wfw)
Water for Wildlife is a far-reaching partnership supporting wetland conservation across the UK. It aims to co-ordinate the wetland work of the Wildlife Trusts, working with water companies, the Environment Agency and other partners to provide a more consistent and targeted approach to wetland conservation. It also supports national and regional project development and encourages sharing of best practice between the trusts and their partners.
The aim of Water for Wildlife is to protect and enhance wetlands through identifying and surveying wetlands, providing advice to landowners and managers, carrying out a range of practical work such as habitat restoration or pond creation, otter and water vole survey and protection, advice to landowners and local authorities and involving local people in practical conservation activities. Each project is identified as part of Water for Wildlife but has its own area-specific focus (based on local Biodiversity Action Plan targets, for example) and appropriate local partners. Further advice about wetlands can be obtained from:
Chris Rostron email: crostron@derbyshirewt.co.uk
Wildlife Trusts
(http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk)
There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK. Each Trust is an independent, autonomous charity with its own trustees, whose primary concern is the conservation of nature within its own geographical area. The following website provides details of where the Trusts are located:
(http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=localtrusts)
The Trusts work together on national and international issues and matters of common concern through an informal partnership arrangement called the Wildlife Trusts. The local Trusts are split into regions. A single Trust covers Scotland, while Wales has six Trusts which work increasingly closely together. There are Trusts for Ulster, the Isle of Man, Alderney and the Isles of Scilly and 36 Trusts across England, largely based on the old county boundaries or small groupings of such counties.
