According to a BBC News article, a new project in Barnsley, a town in South Yorkshire, England, aims to restore wildlife habitat affected by a wastewater treatment plant.
Yorkshire Water, the water supply and treatment centre, has announced that it will support the restoration of four habitats in Randwood, Worsbrough, Wombwell and Darton. By planting trees and creating new ponds, the habitat restoration project is expected to significantly improve conditions for wildlife living at the four sites.
Restoration efforts will be of great help to endangered amphibians, dragonflies, waterfowl and forest wildlife.
One of the threatened species the project hopes to help is the willow tit, a rare bird that is at risk of extinction across the UK, with populations falling by 94% since the 1970s.
Due to their rapid decline, the chickadee is the UK’s most threatened resident bird. According to an article by Wild Bird and Wildlife Conservation Society, the chickadee is already extinct in most parts of southern England and is rarer than the southern white rhinoceros.
As well as protecting species such as great tits, the project has already spent £13 million to reduce the amount of phosphorus in treated wastewater returned to the River Dearne.
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The restoration project is designed not only to rehabilitate contaminated areas but also to support local biodiversity.
“We will be creating new ponds for dragonflies and amphibians as well as planting trees to promote species diversity and create habitat for woodland wildlife,” said Mike Winstanley, regional manager for Yorkshire Wildlife Conservation Society.
Restoration projects like Yorkshire Water’s work are a major step towards building a cleaner, more sustainable future. By treating water pollution, Yorkshire Water’s teams are protecting habitats whilst providing safer outdoor spaces for local communities.
“Our work with Yorkshire Water provides an exciting opportunity to create more natural space in a post-industrial and highly urbanised area,” Mike Winstanley said.
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