now one of twelve Nature Improvement Areas in England
Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Wildlife Trusts
Rolling plains of unique wetland landscape, in an area long managed by the local farming community - the Humberhead Levels are a rich breeding ground for UK wildlife.
Lying at the heart of Yorkshire and the Humber, where rivers draining one fifth of England meet the Humber Estuary, the area spans more than 2,000 square kilometres and is mostly below sea level. It stretches from Retford in North Nottinghamshire to north of Selby in North Yorkshire, and also incorporates large areas of Lincolnshire.
Twelve organisations have now come together and are working with united vision to coordinate the environmental work necessary to keep the Humberhead Levels special.
This project has two main focuses;
- Working closely with Natural England to assist with developing take-up of environmental stewardship schemes (especially Higher Level Stewardship)
- Advising, assisting and helping to fundraise for landowners who are not eligible for these schemes.
What’s happening?
The Humberhead Levels is now one of twelve Nature Improvement Areas in England.
Between 2009 and 2011, work funded by Natural England created or restored over 140 hectares of new wetland habitats, created 57 new ponds and improved 27 km of rivers and drains for wildlife.
Much of the work we have undertaken was in conjunction with Natural England’s environmental stewardship schemes (especially Higher Level Stewardship, HLS), with a strong focus on advising and assisting landowners. Typically this related to land which is often difficult to drain or which floods frequently, and which may be suitable for restoration into wet meadows, ponds and reedbeds; or could be farmland next to rivers and existing wetlands such as Hatfield Moors or Potteric Carr.
Start date: 2009
Scheme area: 200,000 hectares
Trust reserves within the scheme
Potteric Carr, Saltmarshe Delph and Thorpe Marsh
This scheme is helping species including...
Nightjar, adder, bittern, water vole, marsh harrier, otter, nightingale, large heath butterfly and amazing unique tiny creatures such as the Thorne pin-palp beetle, the bog hog beetle, the hairy canary fly and the scarce vapourer moth.
This scheme is also...
Helping wildlife adapt to climate change, reducing flood risk
Partners
Natural England, RSPB.
To find out more
Email: info@ywt.org.uk | Tel: 01904 659570 | Humberhead Levels
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