Eelscapes is a Landscape Recovery project aiming to restore nature-rich wetlands along the River Severn for wildlife, including the endangered European eel, and local communities.
Aiming to restore over 1,300 hectares of nature-rich floodplain wetlands, from Tewkesbury to the south of Gloucester, Eelscapes is one of 22 pilot Landscape Recovery projects nationally that have been funded in the development phase by Defra¹.
These habitats will help European eel, true fox-sedge and other vulnerable wildlife to thrive, and enable local communities to gain the health, wellbeing, recreational and educational benefits of experiencing high-quality natural environments.
Over the past two years, local conservation charities WWT (previously Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT), have been working with the Environment Agency, land managers and local communities in the Severn Vale to develop the project’s proposals.
We invite members of the public to find out more on Wednesday 24 September – 3-7pm Wheatpieces Community Centre, Tewkesbury.
Ben Spencer, Eelscapes Stakeholder Advisor at GWT said:
“Our proposals aim to support local land managers by creating conditions that help the land absorb and hold water more naturally.
“This means restoring features that buffer against flood and drought, helping farm businesses to become more resilient in a changing climate and creating new opportunities for communities to engage with the natural environment.”
To illustrate these plans, two Computer Generated Images have been created by The Ruby Cube, demonstrating the vision for a rural and an urban part of the Severn Vale in 2045.
Jenni Blakeman, Head of Landscape Recovery at GWT explains why Landscape Recovery projects like Eelscapes are so important:
“Landscape Recovery is an excellent way of delivering on the Lawton principles for nature of ‘more, bigger, better, and joined up’, emphasizing the need for an ecological network that is robust enough to withstand environmental pressures like climate change.
“Projects like Eelscapes are also vital for delivering the UK Government’s commitment to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. With a timescale of 20+ years the programme gives land managers more financial certainty and viability.
“Landscape Recovery also recognises ecosystems services in the round and the powerful community engagement possibilities with educational, health and wellbeing benefits. “
¹This project is funded by Natural England under a Defra Landscape Recovery Project Development Grant. Find out more here.
More on the background to the project can be found in our Storymap here.