Page added on February 1, 2012
Volunteers Help Clean-up of Watermead Country Park
Dozens of volunteers have joined forces to take part in an environmental clean-up day at Watermead Country Park.
Leicester City Council, Groundwork Leicester and Leicestershire and local residents teamed up for the event on January 26, which involved carrying out improvement work on the habitats of nesting birds and other wildlife in the southern section of the park.
Volunteers cleared an area of reed bed which had not been tackled for several years, to open it up and encourage new growth for birds to nest. Willow trees covering areas of wetland and obscuring views across the park’s lake were also removed, with smaller areas of willow being collected by a local sculptor for use by pupils at local schools.
About 30 volunteers and staff took part in the event, the first done in partnership between the city council’s parks services, nature conservation and Groundwork.
City council nature conservation officer Helen O’ Brien, said: “Watermead Country Park is a real oasis in the city for wildlife to thrive, but it needs regular management to help keep the conditions right for the wildlife to survive.
“Working like this is the best approach as only small areas are disturbed at any one time. Clearing the reed and willow will encourage reed warblers and cetti’s warblers, frogs and toads as well as other scarcer wildlife such as grass snakes.
If we are lucky bitterns might take up residence in the future.”
Groundwork senior conservation officer Catherine Tregaskes added: “This is the first time that the city council volunteers have worked with our volunteers and it has gone really well.
“We have a few volunteers that come out regularly to help and they were able to show newcomers what to do. We got so much done this way.”
Leicester City Council assistant city mayor responsible for leisure, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, said: “It’s great to see people taking the opportunity to get involved in local parks and carrying out such important work, which will benefit all visitors.”
People wanting to get involved in volunteering for future parks events can visit: www.leicester.gov.uk/parks and choose information on Park Force Volunteers, or ring 0116 229 3637.
