Volunteers needed for plastic clean-up at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh

Litter picking on the Ribble -RSPB

Staff at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh, are calling on local volunteers to help with their ‘Big Hesketh Out Marsh Clean-up’ event on Sunday 11 February.

Following recent high tides, the nature reserve at Hesketh Bank near Southport has seen a large amount of plastic and other debris deposited on the site, which poses a risk to wildlife and spoils the beauty of the area.

Gareth Tate, Warden at RSPB Ribble Reserves said: “RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh is part of the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve, an internationally important area that is home to a variety of wonderful wildlife. Whilst the recent high tides provided a fantastic spectacle for our visitors, bringing birds from the saltmarsh into close view, the downside is they also brought in lots of rubbish. Popular BBC programme ‘Blue Planet’ has highlighted the danger that plastic poses in our oceans, and the same applies to our estuaries like the Ribble. We hope lots of people will come along to the event to help clean up this beautiful spot. It’s also in ideal opportunity to meet like-minded locals, get out in the fresh air and put something back into your community.

The clean-up event is running from 10.30am-1pm and participants should meet at the Hesketh Out Marsh car park, Dib Road, Off Shore Road, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6XQ. Appropriate waterproof outdoor clothing and footwear should be worn along with work/garden gloves. Some litter pickers will be available, but people are encouraged to bring their own if they have them. For further details visit rspb.org.uk/heskethoutmarsh

Pools set to improve home for nature at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh

RSPB Hesketh viewing platform

New pools are being created at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh to help give nature a home and provide more feeding areas for the reserve’s special nesting birds.

In a bid to improve the site for birds such as lapwings, redshanks and avocets, shallow ditches are being dug and dams installed to hold water. Land drains, which were installed when the area was farmed, are also being removed to increase the wetness of the site.

The work has been made possible by a grant of £48,786 awarded by The Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund.

Tony Baker, RSPB Ribble Sites Manager, said: “The work to retain some water on the marsh at low tide will make the site much more attractive to wildlife and as a result, we hope to encourage more visitors to come and see the incredible nature this area has to offer.

“Increasing the wetness of the site is especially important in dry spells like we enjoyed this year, when the wet edges will help the parent birds supply insects for their hungry chicks to eat.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, added: “We support community and environmental projects across the UK and it is great to hear that this scheme is going well. I look forward to hearing about how the works are benefiting birdlife, and, in turn, creating a wildlife haven for all to enjoy.”

The work builds on the initial restoration of the site, which took place between 2006 and 2008. This saw the reserve transform from a featureless field into a vibrant saltmarsh providing a home for a variety of wildlife.

Hesketh Out Marsh was isolated from the estuary in 1980 by a private developer and was used for growing crops until the RSPB purchased the land in 2006.  Due to rising sea levels, we urgently need to replace some of the saltmarsh being lost in the UK.  Every year an area the size of 140 football pitches (140 hectares) disappears beneath the waves.  In partnership with the Environment Agency, we have restored the land to saltmarsh and pools.  The tide is now free to flow in and out twice daily. Soil taken from the restored creeks and pools has been used to build stronger sea defences to protect homes and farmland inland. The project has created more homes for wildlife and better protection from flooding for people

The restoration of Hesketh Out Marsh forms part of the Ribble Coast and Wetlands Futurescape, an ambitious conservation project in which the RSPB is aiming to work with a range of partners to create a network of linked wildlife havens across the area.

For details about Hesketh Out Marsh visit www.rspb.org.uk/heskethoutmarsh.

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