Farmers and landowners across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire are working with conservation charities to find new ways of protecting the region’s wildlife.
More than 90 landowners are teaming up with Freshwater Habitats Trust and the River Thame Conservation Trust in an effort to restore the region's natural environment.
Members of the Thame Catchment Farmer Cluster and Ock Catchment Farmer Cluster will work with the charities to create thriving habitats and carbon stores on low-productivity land.
Farmers from both the Thame and Ock catchment farm clusters came together in April to kick-off the Landscape Recovery project (Image: Freshwater Habitats Trust)
They are aiming to preserve and enhance wildlife areas and environmental resources while ensuring the continued production of high-quality food.
The scheme represents the first large-scale roll-out of the Freshwater Network - a national network of freshwaters led by Freshwater Habitats Trust.
It is supported by the River Thame Conservation Trust’s expertise in river and catchment restoration and its connections with farmers and communities.
Freshwater Habitats Trust programme manager, Hannah Worker, said: "A key part of our vision for the Freshwater Network is to identify wetland opportunity areas, where we can restore habitats.
"Through this project, we’re working with farmers and landowners to find areas on historic floodplains where we can not only increase biodiversity but also provide benefits for farm businesses and local communities, such as reducing runoff.
View towards the wetland mosaic habitat created by Freshwater Habitats Trust and River Thame Conservation Trust at the Rose Dale’s Organic Farm on the Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire border (Image: Freshwater Habitats Trust)
“We’ll be focusing particularly on restoring and creating small freshwater habitats, which research has shown can make the biggest difference in boosting biodiversity."
The project covers more than 8,500 hectares, or 33 square miles, spanning from Aylesbury in the east to Faringdon in the west and from Kidlington in the north to Wallingford in the south.
Its primary focus is on land around the River Ock and River Thame, which have significant potential to serve as habitat for freshwater wildlife, including threatened and protected species such as the great crested newt, curlew, and certain plants like the water-violet and greater water-parsnip.
Over a two-year development period, project partners will concentrate on long-term opportunities to develop habitats for freshwater wildlife on farms across both catchments.
Freshwater Habitats Trust staff and partners planting Flat Sedge at Lye Valley Fen, Oxford (Image: Dr Tony Gillie)
River Thame Conservation Trust’s senior project officer, Hilary Phillips, said: "Supporting the farming community in its pursuit of sustainable land and business goals has always been central to our mission in the Thame catchment.
"The Landscape Recovery scheme offers an excellent opportunity to realise that mission."
Tom Allen-Stevens, chair of the Ock Farmer Cluster, added: "We’re very limited as to what we can achieve on our own – we simply don’t have the skills required to build a cohesive plan.
"The Landscape Recovery project allows us to come together to meet our collective aims, to deliver something that will actually make a difference locally and nationally."
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