Natural England praises Severn Trent contribution to nature recovery

Natural England has praised the contribution Severn Trent is making to national efforts on nature recovery. The company has a target to increase biodiversity across an area of 5,000ha by 2027, which will deliver 1% of the 500,000ha target for the Nature Recovery Network set out in the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

Touring some of the sites Severn Trent is working on in partnership with the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, Natural England chair Tony Juniper said: “These exciting projects embody the kind of approach needed to achieve our national ambition to create a flourishing Nature Recovery Network. Collaboration is at the heart of it, and here we can see the benefits of industry, farming and conservation coming together to ensure that nature thrives for the benefit of people and planet. I very much hope these projects will inspire others to invest in similarly effective partnerships.”

The partnership with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is focused on four major sustainability projects that will enhance the natural environment and improve water quality over 290ha including:

• Idle Washlands SSSI – improving habitats for waders and water voles, including scrape creation, wet grassland restoration and fencing;

• the Idle Valley Nature Reserve, Chainbridge Scrape – developing control structures to manage water levels on the wetland SSSI (there is also a project to reintroduce beavers for sustainable conservation management and diverse wetland habitat creation before work begins on rewilding the reserve};

• contributions to the developing Nature Recovery Network in farmed landscapes – working with farmers and landowners in four target areas of Nottinghamshire to create wildlife-rich habitats such as meadows, woodlands and ponds; and

• Thoresby maize trials – investigating whether under-sowing maize with strips of grass can help protect water quality, soil health and increase farmland pollinators.