Thames Water has announced the creation of a new wildlife area on land next to Aylesbury sewage works
The water company say work is due to start in the spring, transforming the area into a haven for wildlife and plants.
The 20,000 metre-squared site, which borders the River Thame, will be developed into areas of permanent standing water and will encourage waders such as Snipe, Little Egret and Green Sandpiper as well as help store carbon.
Raised mounds will be created for nesting and roosting birds as well as a large wildflower meadow, which will make an ideal home for insects and small mammals. A bird hide, constructed on the site in 2016, will provide the ideal viewing point for birdwatchers.
The new wetlands were designed in collaboration with a number of stakeholders, including the River Thame Conservation Trust, Environment Agency, Aylesbury Vale District Council and local birders. The work is expected to take four to five weeks.
Thames Water ecologist Becky Elliott, who is leading on the project, said: “Wetlands are important networks for migrating and breeding birds and for tackling the effects of climate change. We’re excited to create a new wetland at Aylesbury, which will become a thriving habitat for wildlife. We care about the communities within which we all live and work, and this is a fantastic example of Thames Water working together with local partners to benefit the communities we serve and help with nature’s recovery.”
Inland wetlands such as marshes, ponds, lakes, fens, rivers, floodplains, and swamps act as vast 'carbon sinks', which store carbon and prevent it from being released back into the atmosphere.
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