Large areas of Hull and East Yorkshire were historically wet or waterlogged before the advent of drainage schemes and canal building, to increase space for farming and create transportation routes. Despite the dramatic loss of fens, bogs, marshes, and wet woodland through these processes, there are remnant wetland habitats scattered across our area that show the diversity of wildlife that would have once thrived here. Sites such as Kilnsea Wetlands, North Cave Wetlands, Tophill Low, and Skerne Wetlands represent examples of restored wetland areas which also provide important recreation opportunities for people. Leven Carrs Wetland is an example of a nationally important wetland recovery scheme.
Wet habitats are known to support a high proportion of native species, including approximately a quarter of Yorkshire’s Species of Conservation Concern. Increasing the quantity of wetlands in our landscapes will have a significant impact on nature recovery.
Wet habitats could also benefit our residents and businesses. The number and severity of flooding events has increased over recent decades, impacting negatively on food production, people’s homes, and businesses. By creating more space for water, we can lessen the effects of future flood events that will continue with our changing climate. Habitat such as reedbeds will help improve our water quality, whilst creation of fens, bogs, and wet woodlands can meaningfully store carbon in our soils. Managed systems such as drains, ditches, canals, and ponds can continue to be managed to remove water from fields to support food production, but there is great scope to allow nature to inform management, so these can act as stepping stones and corridors across large areas, connecting important wildlife sites. Canals can function as important habitats in their own right, as well as effective wildlife corridors which are easily accessible to people. Hull and East Yorkshire have several significant canals, including Pocklington Canal and Leven Canal, which are both designated as SSSIs.
Freshwater systems and standing water such as ponds are efficient vectors for INNS which are damaging our native wildlife, such as Himalayan Balsam, New Zealand Pygmyweed, and American Mink. Any habitat intervention must take care not to allow these species to spread further than they already have, and to eradicate them where possible.
Breeding waders (Lapwing, Curlew, Snipe and Redshank), Bittern, Bearded Tit, Grasshopper Warbler, Marsh Harrier, Crane, Willow Tit, breeding Variable Damselfly, dragonflies, rare aquatic beetles, Corky-fruited Water-dropwort, Greater Water Parsnip, Water Vole, Grass Snake, and amphibians.
Wet grassland, lowland fen, lowland raised bog, wet woodland, and reedbed.
Carbon storage, water storage, improve water quality, flood alleviation, and pollination.
Before heavy agriculture took place in the River Hull Flood Plain, Leven Carrs used to be a vast area of marsh, wet grassland, and open water. The site now contains a 135 ha wetland and SSSI canal, which provides an uplift to the surrounding farm area and an abundance of rare flora and fauna species, including Greater Water Parsnip and Water Violet. The wetlands also support a range of endangered and protected bird species such as Avocet, Barn Owl, and Marsh Harrier.
This already diverse wetland is central to a network of other important sites in the local area such as Pulfin Bog and Tophill Low Nature Reserve. The selection of Leven Carrs for a Landscape Recovery Scheme has been based on the previous status of the land and the behaviour of water. The increased rainfall has now made the soil an unsustainable environment for farming as the peat-based soil induces flooding.
Once an agreement has been made through DEFRA’s Landscape Recovery scheme for 30 years, new quality habitat can be developed into the surrounding farmland to form a nature reserve. This could include new wetland, woodland, and heathland habitat which will act as a refuge for target species such as Water Vole and Common Crane. Overall, the Leven Carrs Landscape Recovery project aims to create a biodiverse home for wildlife whilst generating opportunities and green space for local people to enjoy.
Land under our management has the opportunity to provide numerous services to society; that’s why we have strong commitments to both food production and environmental enterprises. The work undertaken at Leven Carrs over the past decade has allowed a huge amount of flora and fauna to flourish.
IThe expansion of grassland, wetland, and woodland pasture on this scale goes beyond improving biodiversity. It will help alleviate flooding, improve wellbeing, and engage directly with the local community. The secret is to find the sweet spot where nature, social, and financial converge, to make a truly sustainable project. Albanwise has committed to coordinate the pilot study, bringing together stakeholders to devise a strategy for the future of this Nature Recovery Project. The exciting challenge is the next steps where we all put plans into practice.
Finding a balance in the way we manage our landscapes at a local, national, and global scale will be critical for the future. As the current custodians of the land, nature recovery allows us to provide multiple ecosystem services for future generations.