Today (Thursday 7 Sept) a group of Wildlife Trusts launch Wilder Marches – an ambitious nature recovery project across two countries, four counties and three major river catchments. Shropshire, Herefordshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire Wildlife Trusts aim to create and restore habitats across the historic and distinctive Marches region.
‘Wilder Marches’ describes a unique natural and cultural landscape straddling the Welsh-English border and includes the headwaters of the River Lugg, River Teme and River Clun. Stretching across approximately 100,000 hectares, the area is home to long established rural communities and dotted with ancient woodlands, heathlands and peatland, flower-rich meadows, wood pasture and ‘ffridd’, a special upland habitat of scrub and grassland. The Marches also have areas of intensive farming as well as extensive forestry plantations where nature is struggling to thrive. The Wilder Marches initiative aims to enable a network of estates, farms, woods, nature reserves and commons to help nature recover once more.
Due to its geographical location, the Marches has a critical role to play in water storage, ecological resilience and mitigating the impacts of the climate and nature crises. The current reform of farm subsidies has presented an opportunity to develop new business models that will help sustain farm incomes whilst allowing nature to be restored across the farmed landscape.
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New Welsh-English project to restore nature and boost rural prosperity across historic Marches
Radnorshire Wildlife Trust is one of four Wildlife Trusts taking part in the new Wilder Marches project.
Wilder Marches Project
Today a group of Wildlife Trusts launch Wilder Marches – an ambitious nature recovery project across two countries, four counties and three major river catchments. Shropshire, Herefordshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire Wildlife Trusts aim to create and restore habitats across the historic and distinctive Marches region.
‘Wilder Marches’ describes a unique natural and cultural landscape straddling the Welsh-English border and includes the headwaters of the River Lugg, River Teme and River Clun. Stretching across approximately 100,000 hectares, the area is home to long established rural communities and dotted with ancient woodlands, heathlands and peatland, flower-rich meadows, wood pasture and ‘ffridd’, a special upland habitat of scrub and grassland. The Marches also suffer from areas of intensive farming as well as extensive forestry plantations where nature is struggling to thrive. The Wilder Marches initiative aims to enable a network of estates, farms, woods, nature reserves and commons to help nature recover once more.
Due to its geographical location, the Marches has a critical role to play in water storage, ecological resilience and mitigating the impacts of the climate and nature crises. The current reform of farm subsidies has presented an opportunity to develop new business models that will help sustain farm incomes whilst allowing nature to be restored across the farmed landscape. Working with local communities and landowners, the Wilder Marches initiative will:
restore and create lost habitats including peatlands, native woodlands and grasslands
re-establish natural processes across river channels, floodplains and wetlands to help reduce the risk of flooding and improve water quality
protect, expand and promote remaining strongholds of rare species, such as pine marten, curlew, and freshwater pearl mussel
create ‘investible landscapes’ linking landowners and farmers to emerging green finance opportunities to help generate viable income streams for the rural economy
encourage regenerative farming including conservation grazing with native breeds
promote and develop local sustainable food production
CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice.
Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS.
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