Read what the team has been up to in October from cleaning gravels and assessing sites across the catchment for improvement works to making bird box kits and PowerPoint presentations https://ccc.scrt.co.uk/blog/a-busy-few-weeks/
The project recently hosted two demonstration and training session to get the Clean Gravels conservation activity underway on some of the catchment’s becks. The aim is to clean the gravels of spawning sites of salmon, de-silting them to allow a better flow of oxygen through to eggs and fry. The first sessions were very much “see how it goes” and reassuringly worked well, leaving some short sections of becks in an improved state. To read how it was done https://ccc.scrt.co.uk/clean-gravels-2019/ More…
Conserving Coniston and Crake project team have been working hard; thinking and organising exciting training and volunteer opportunities for you to come and get involved in. There are two gravel cleaning training sessions in October, so you can learn about their importance, especially when it comes to salmonid spawning! We have been out testing the equipment ready for you…Why not give it a go? In November, you will have the opportunity to count redds, the spawning scrapes created by salmonids, in…
The Bat Walk was a great success – there were people, the weather was just right and we saw plenty of bats! Water Park Lakeland Adventure Centre have them roosting in their buildings and grounds and using special bat detectors we could hear their conversations and echo-location as a series of clicks. Rich Flight from South Cumbria Bat Group shared his knowledge with us and we finished with seeing bats swooping low over Coniston Water. For more on this story https://ccc.scrt.co.uk/going-batty/
First reedbed restoration work in Coniston Water The end of August saw the first phase of reedbed restoration work get underway along the shores of Coniston Water. It was a real team effort involving help from the RSPB at Leighton Moss, Chris from Water Park Lakeland Adventure Centre, SCRT staff, trainee Rangers from the National Trust and some brilliant volunteers, who worked hard to plant and protect the new reeds. For more details check out https://ccc.scrt.co.uk/restoring-reedbeds/
4th Prize at Torver We had a brilliant day at the Lakeland Country Fair at Torver last Sunday despite the rain showers. Our stand was busy all afternoon with minibeast seekers and clever crafters. We also talked about water quality, freshwater invertebrates as indicators of healthy water and how to reduce sediments & phosphates from entering our lovely becks. The day was nicely rounded off with 4th prize for our stand for community engagement!
Three watercourse re-connections have taken place over the last few weeks in this summer’s in-river working period at Thurston Outdoor Education Centre, Water Park Lakeland Adventure Centre and at Doll Moss. The work has formed part of Restoring Rivers and Buried Becks, de-culverting long hidden becks and linking them to new channels, creating improved in-river and riparian habitats. For more information visit https://ccc.scrt.co.uk/activities/conservation-activities/ New beck flowing at Thurston OEC
We’ve just got to the end of the project’s first year so here is a roundup of what has been achieved so far and what’s coming up in the next few months. The conservation work, under the direction of Dr. Mike West, has the aim of restoring natural river processes and improving habitats for a wide range of species from freshwater invertebrates, salmon, sea trout and eels to bats, birds and otters. Fencing becks to keep livestock out, reducing sediment…
Year 7 students from John Ruskin HS spent a day learning about freshwater invertebrates and how they are used as indicators of water quality. The morning began with a presentation to show how invertebrates are adapted to life in freshwater. The class walked down to the lake and sampled in both Church Beck and Yewdale Beck. A few invertebrates were taken back to school so the students could take a closer study of them through microscopes. Observations and sketches were…
The presence of blue-green algae on Coniston Water has been confirmed by the Environment Agency (4th July 2018). Whilst not all blue-green algae is toxic you can’t tell whether it is or not from its appearance, so please follow the advice from both the Environment Agency and the Lake District National Park Authority. Avoid coming into contact with it, don’t swim nearby and keep children and pets away from it too. As with any pollution incident please report sightings of…