Mersey Basin Campaign Blog

Ribble barrage survey online now....

The Lancashire Evening Post has just launched a survey on its website where people can register their opinions about the proposed Ribble barrage scheme.

Visit the website and have your say.

Leave us a comment here, too, we're interested to know what people are thinking about this.

Frying tonight

Trout fry hatching

The Ribble Catchment Conservation Trust has started a scheme called Trout in the Classroom. Many schools in the Ribble Catchment have expressed an interest in this project and Horton-in-Rbblesdale Primary School is the first one to be supplied with their hatchery tank.

After several weeks of patient waiting, the children and staff are thrilled that the eggs have all hatched. The fry are now being carefully nurtured by the children and in about 12 weeks time they will have developed sufficiently to be returned to the stream from where the eggs came.

The project brings nature into the classroom and everyone at the school is privileged to witness this the transformation. It really is a unique opportunity - most experienced anglers will not have even seen trout at such an early stage.

The tanks with all the necessary equipment are supplied by Jetset and cost £1000. However, after this initial outlay the tank can be used year on year at very little cost. Jetset staff instruct the school in how to rear the fish and leave full instructions.

More information

Wild weather in Lancashire

There was some wild weather the other week, as I'm sure everyone noticed and lots of  brave souls have ventured out to take photos of their local area.

Click here to see the photos from Lancashire on the BBC website.

Ribble Winter Wildlife Walk Sunday 28th January

Save The Ribble are calling all Ribblers to join them and The Preston Society for a Winter Wildlife Walk along the banks of the River Ribble in Penwortham and Preston on Sunday 28th January.

They will begin at 1.30 pm, and expect the Walk to take the whole afternoon to allow for leisurely Wildlife-Watching, very slow walkers, and plenty of doggy explorations along the way (approximately 3 hours altogether) - although, as they will be very local, you can easily leave earlier if you wish!

The Ribble Winter Wildlife Walk will begin at the Old Tram Bridge (between Avenham & Miller Parks and the Penwortham Green Belt) at 1.30pm, moving downriver alongside Preston Junction Nature Reserve and the Penwortham mudflats here, continuing past Old Penwortham Bridge and through Penwortham Holme (past the Penny Holme allotments on one side and the Broadgate mudflats on the other), crossing over Liverpool Road (carefully!) and continuing alongside the Ribble down Holme Road, passing the Preston allotments and Church Woods, and taking in the mudflats which run from just past Liverpool Road Bridge along towards the Docks.

They will stop at Priory Park and return upriver as far as Liverpool Road Bridge, crossing here into Preston and walking upriver alongside the Broadgate mudflats before finishing on Old Penwortham Bridge.  The lowest point of the tide is at around 4.30pm, so you should get plenty of opportunity to survey the mudflats for local and visiting bird species...
...if this Winter's heavy rainfall continues, however, the mudflats will be exposed for much less time than during dryer periods...

You are very welcome to join in - please take waterproofs and a snack and drink, and accompanying friends, family, children, and hounds, binoculars, cameras... The route is wheelchair and pushchair friendly, although bumpy in places.

Brockholes secured for wildlife

Brockholes wetland in Lancashire will be turned into a huge new nature reserve after supporters raised over £50,000.

Brockholes features open water, reed beds and flower-rich grassland, and adjoins the largest ancient woodland in Lancashire where badgers and bluebells thrive.

Funding of £1.5 million had already been arranged by Lancashire Wildlife Trust to purchase the site.  But to release the cash and secure the deal the trust needed to find an extra £50,000 within a month.

A flood of donations met a public appeal just before Christmas reaching  the total in only three weeks. .

Trust chief executive Anne Selby, said: "This is the biggest land purchase in the history of the Wildlife Trust and we thank the people of Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside for their generosity."

The site, which is encircled by the River Ribble, is the size of 130 football pitches and sits adjacent to junction 31 of the M6.  It is already home to a fantastic variety of bird life including Lapwing, Sand Martin and Kingfisher, together with more vulnerable species such as Whimbrel, Skylark and Reed Bunting.

Visitors will be encouraged to walk, cycle or perhaps even paddle a canoe to experience the wildlife face to face.  The first part of the project will be to work on drainage, pathways, signage and safety features and the second phase will include the construction of classrooms, shops and a visitor centre