Work on Lincolnshire's chalk streams helps wildlife
Some of Britain's best-loved wildlife will be helped by improvement works to Lincolnshire's chalk streams.
The Lincolnshire Chalk Stream's Project partnership has seen work done to enhance rare chalk streams – only found in eastern and southern England – and surrounding areas for wildlife including brown trout, otters, water voles and eels.
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HIDDEN GEM: Chalk streams are internationally rare and there are several in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
The project team, with contractors Frontrow Fencing, has already completed work on Waithe Beck in the Orford Valley near Market Rasen.
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The beck runs alongside a field which is the site of Orford medieval nunnery – a scheduled ancient monument which needs grazing to prevent it from becoming overgrown.
Ruth Snelson, project officer, said: "We've completed fencing now, so livestock will be able to graze, and therefore protect the medieval remains of the nunnery.
"The fencing will also prevent livestock from drinking from the stream, which had been leading to the banks being poached and the beck being damaged.
"We've already recorded brown trout and we hope more will be seen.
"We also hope that the improved banks will encourage the rare water vole to breed there.
"It's an ideal habitat for otters as well, which are already making a welcome return to Lincolnshire."
Work is also being done by Creative Nature at Calceby Beck, South Thoresby – where the water has become silted up due to fallen tree debris, and the banks are being poached by livestock.
Banks have been fenced to control grazing, helping to reduce the amount of sediment entering the stream.
Several trees are being removed to improve feeding grounds for noctule and pipistrelle bats.
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