For the opening event in the first ever Ribble Coast & Wetlands Walking Festival, Save the Ribblers organised a Ribble Way Walk along the river banks from the Old Tram Bridge connecting the Penwortham Green Belt to Avenham & Miller Parks to Brockholes Wetland. The route for this walk was chosen as an ideal opportunity to celebrate the designation of the Ribble as a Regional Park and Brockholes Wetland as the latest - and biggest - Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve in Britain, and the latest addition to the Ribble's Wetlands. Brockholes Wetland Nature Reserve.The River Ribble at Brockholes.A keen band of Ribblesiders from South Ribble and Preston had a very enjoyable day - despite the occasional drizzle - spotting a huge number of bird, plant, and insect life along the Ribble's banks...It was low tide when we left the Tram Bridge, a great time to spot the numerous bird species feeding in the exposed riverbed - or interrupting their breakfast to watch us as we watch them!As we moved furt
As part of the Ribble Coast & Wetlands Regional Park's Walking Festival, Ribbleside residents are Walking the Ribble Way to the Wildlife Trust's new Wetland Nature Reserve at Brockholes.It will be an all-day event, walking upriver to the Wildlife Trust's new Brockholes Wetland Nature Reserve. We will be starting from the Tram Bridge over the Ribble between Avenham & Miller Parks and Penwortham, and walking the Ribble Way upriver, past the Shawes Arms, Mete House, and Mellings Wood, through to Brockholes Wetland.You can enjoy many happy hours by the riverbank whatever the weather!Come and join us for a fabulous day out by the Ribble!The full details are:Start time: 10.30am on Saturday 4th AugustMeeting place: On the Old Tram Bridge over the Ribble, between Penwortham and Avenham & Miller Parks, PrestonLength of walk (miles): Approximately 8 miles in total: 2 hours walking alongside the Ribble each way, plus a picnic lunch (bring your own). The expected finish time is approximately 4.
To celebrate the Wildlife Trust saving Brockholes Wetland from development - which they only managed to achieve with YOUR help - they held a special celebration by inviting just a small number of the huge numbers of people who helped to Save Brockholes.Even that relatively small proportion of the total numbers saw several dozen people enjoying guided tours of the new Wetland - not to mention a delicious lunch and a nice cup of tea!Our guides explained to us what their plans are to improve the site, some of which is still a raw patch of recently-quarried land - but this is a bonus as the Wildlife Trust can ensure that their habitat restoration is exactly what is needed!Whilst some of the lakes and their bankside habitats have already seen a significant amount of habitat restoration, the Wildlife Trust will have to revisit many of these areas to make more sympathetic alterations. This will include reducing the heights of many of the islands in the lakes as they are not the natural island
A HUGE THANKS to all contributors to the Wildlife Trust Brockholes Wetland Appeal as you ensured the Wildlife Trust raised the £50,000 needed to release a further £1.5 million to purchase and improve this vital wildlife habitat!
The Wildlife Trust are now trying to purchase Brockholes Wetland, to turn this fantastic area into a Nature Reserve, and we will keep you up-to-date with progress... You can find out more at the Wildlife Trust's website.
The enormous success of this appeal shows that ordinary people do have a voice and the power to influence what happens in their local environment.
PLEASE SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW FOR HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN ABOUT YOUR ENVIRONMENT, AND HOW YOU CAN HELP PROTECT THE RIVER RIBBLE AND OUR GREEN SPACES OVER THE C0MING YEARS, helping to ensure that new developments are appropriate developments, sustainable developments, and ensure they only take place in appropriate places!
And a very Happy New Year to all of you!
The Wildlife Trust only have until this Friday, 15th December, to save Brockholes Wetland from development! They have now raised £42,000 of the £50,000 they need but the clock is ticking...
Stuck for an interesting and unusual present for someone you love? Donate to the Brockholes Appeal and your money will directly contribute to saving Wildlife!
And remember, every £10 donated is turned into a massive £300 for the Wildlife Trust under the terms of "match funding"... Every £20 becomes £600!! And EVERY donation is added to the Roll of Honour to be kept on site - a lasting memorial to your generosity or to the person whose name you donation represents!
BUT ACT NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!
See second part of article below for details of how to donate...
The surprise news of the day is that the merger between Preston and South Ribble Councils is off. South Ribble Borough Council voted last night not to go ahead, after listening to the overwhelming pressure of public opinion.
We can only salute the councillors of South Ribble for being brave enough to admit that they were wrong to support this merger idea, and for representing public opinion by rejecting it.
Without the merger it will be far more difficult for Preston to push ahead its 'Riverworks' ideas.
This sudden and unexpected change of heart is an immense blow to Preston City Council's leaders, who now see their big business inspired "expansion and growth at any cost' agenda overwhelmingly rejected by ordinary people. Suspicion of the "Riverworks' proposals and fear for what they might mean for the greenbelt between Preston and South Ribble was one of several factors that led many people to oppose this merger.
Almost 90% of local residents who responded to South Ribbl
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire have launched an URGENT APPEAL to try to SAVE BROCKHOLES WETLAND FROM DEVELOPMENT.
They need to raise £50,000 in the next four weeks to secure the future of Higher Brockholes for wildlife and local people for ever!
The Higher Brockholes site, encircled by the River Ribble, has been quarried for gravel for several years, and the older pits have filled with water and become one of the finest sites for birdwatching in the North West.
Numerous bird species which live or over-winter on the Ribble have established a fantastic habitat in the Brockholes quarries over recent years, and this area is already home to a fantastic variety of wildlife including Lapwing, Sand Martin, and Kingfisher, as well as more vulnerable species such as Whimbrel, Skylark, and Reed Bunting. There are also newts, bats, dragonflies and damselflies, and Otters are now returning to the Ribble in this area.
The Wildlife Trust hope to purchase the site and turn this fantastic a
