Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change

Overview

The Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change (WRCC) project was one of 6 pilot projects in England funded by Defra and DESNZ through the Shared Outcome Fund (SOF) programme. It started in 2022 and is led by Groundwork NE & Cumbria's Land Team, who work in partnership with landowners and trusted contractors to deploy nature-based solutions whilst engaging the public in meaningful dialogue, learning and experiences relating to the work in hand.

The WRCC project was designed to deliver and monitor nature based interventions within the farmed landscape of the Upper Wansbeck catchment. The focus of the project was to make habitat improvements which would improve carbon in soils and create space for water and species diversity. Interventions also increased habitats for pollinators (foraging on hedge blossoms and overseeded meadows), birds (using the newly created wetland scrapes and hedgerows especially) and aquatic species (through the increase in freshwater habitats).

The project has also showcased how farming and nature recovery can go hand in hand. Activities have contributed to farm resilience through improving biosecurity (through creating wider hedgerows) and productivity (creating more shelter for stock) and preventing lamb losses in a deep, straightened water course (with additional fencing and stone crossings).

Approach

Working with a strong dedicated advisory steering group and three different land holdings, the project delivered wetland features on the main Wansbeck river and several tributaries, hedgerow and tree plantings, meadow overseeding, ground smoothing and peat rewetting within Harwood Forest. The project team were able to be creative and adapt to respond to new challenges and opportunities, which was key to its success.

The project team provided end-to-end support for these improvements, with key activities including:

Engaging with the steering group, landowners and tenants to produce detailed designs ready for licensing and permissions.
Gaining approval for works
Tendering the work and managing those trusted contractors to reach the best outcomes on a variety of ground conditions
To keep up a dialogue with landowners and tenants to ensure that practical site work and monitoring work was consistent with and not disruptive of farm operations
To ensure parish councils were kept informed and aware of the works in hand - e.g. with illustrated talks and Q&A
To create an interesting and engaging public programme of engagement activity

The public engagement programme included walks, talks, educational farm visits and exhibitions. This activity was funded separately and primarily by the Shears Foundation.

Successes and next steps

The project involved a range of partners including Natural England, National Trust, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Northumberland County Council, Northumbria University, Kew (Wakehurst), who worked together as an effective steering group. The relationships and channels of communication established will enable ongoing collaboration beyond the scope and lifetime of the project.

The collaborative approach to project delivery also lies at the heart of other successes. For example:

Working closely with Forestry England's Peat Restoration Officer, the project has taken the deep (5-6 metres) peat on a felled forestry site back to rewetted conditions through a ground smoothing and plug planting operation within Harwood Forest.
Deep drain reprofiling on a tributary of the Harwood Burn and opening of paleo channels has made space for high flow river events, and was achieved by working with the National Trust’s Geomorphologist.
The project team worked with a local, highly motivated photographer and exhibition designer to deliver a project exhibition which proved a great way to share information, raise issues and develop awareness and knowledge about the project.

Groundwork NE & Cumbria will continue to build on these successes to work with existing and new partners to develop new nature-based projects with strong community engagement and benefits within the region.

Find out more about Wansbeck Restoration for Climate Change on the Groundwork website

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