Tees Valley Nature Partnership

Wynyard Woodland Park is the subject of a Green Infrastructure Case Study by Natural England.  The report demonstrates how Wynyard Woodland Park shows how green infrastructure can be used to effectively manage increased demand for green space in urban areas. It is an innovative example of how to turn the journey to the park itself into part of the outdoor recreation experience, while not only protecting but enhancing biodiversity through habitat creation for Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species.

 Key data

•  More than 50 percent of visitors to the park say that they go there to exercise
•  At Pickard’s Meadow, 10 ha of lowland meadow has been created contributing 100 percent to the local BAP target for lowland meadow creation and 20 percent of the regional target
• Revenue taken at the park’s visitor shop has increased from £11,800 in 2009/10 to £22,600 in 2010/11

The Tees Valley is one of two pilot areas for the development of an environmental decision making tool based on ecosystem service interactions. The Defra funded initiative is led by  Dr Piran White of York University and explores the management and policy implications of the interactions between habitats in their delivery of ecosystem services.

The project is working on the production of a map-based decision-support tool which will demonstrate these interactions and the effects of management interventions on the delivery of ecosystem services. It will also include economic valuation and legislative data to help create a more comprehensive tool. They are focusing on three systems – agriculture, freshwater (rivers and wetlands), and urban areas – which have been identified as priority landscapes in the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UKNEA), either in terms of their status or the lack of understanding of biodiversity-ecosystem service relations within them, or both.

The tool is being initially developed in the context of the Humberhead Levels Nature Improvement Area and is being designed so that it is transferable to other localities in the United Kingdom.   The TVNP are working with Piran to assist in the development of a locally-specific version of the tool for the Tees Valley, our ‘test’ area, and use it to assess the implications of alternative future scenarios for the delivery of multiple ecosystem benefits in this area.
Piran and his research team visited the Tees Valley on 22 May for a whistle stop tour of the varied landscapes and ecosystems  of the Tees Valley with Sue Antrobus and Anne Louise Orange of the Tees Valley Nature Partnership.    It is envisaged that the research will provide valuable tool for the Partnership and in particular for the River Tees Rediscovered landscape project which is currently being developed as a round two Landscape Partnership, led by Groundwork North East.
Link to the York University Ecosystem Interactions project web page.

Also the the ‘Ecosystem Service Mapping Gateway’, is now live. This has been developed by the NERC Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BESS) Directorate and brings together information on the growing number of projects concerned with mapping ecosystem service delivery at the landscape level. Click to access the Ecosystem Service Mapping Gateway

The Tees Valley Nature Partnership has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Tees Valley Wild Green Spaces project, it was announced today. The project will work to increase the wildlife of public open spaces across the Tees Valley and provide opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in learning about their local wildlife and how to care for it.

Development funding of £11,200 has also been awarded to help The Tees Valley Local Nature Partnership progress their plans with partners to apply for a full grant of £480,000 in 2014.

The new initiative will involve a wide range of community and youth groups in making small scale sustainable wildlife conservation projects on a wide selection of public green spaces throughout the Tees Valley through volunteer programmes of practical biodiversity recording and practical conservation work. Also planned are a wealth of opportunities for people to enjoy, learn and care for their local biodiversity through programmes of walks, family fun days, wildlife surveys, and conservation taster events.

The project will increase the natural environment skills base in the Tees Valley through local volunteers and young people gaining training in biodiversity identification and recording and nature conservation management of green spaces. Young people will gain practical work based experience that will enable them to gain nationally recognised qualifications.

Further information

TV Wild Green Places update April 2013

Information on the project contact Susan Antrobus, TVNP Development Manger, [email protected]

Information on the Heritage Lottery Fund

An event for chairs of Local Nature Partnerships was held in London on 13 February.2013.   The aim of the event was to enable LNPs to share best practice, discuss implementation issues and celebrate success. The event was opened with a presentation by Chris de Grouchy, Deputy Director EU and UK Biodiversity Policy Delivery. He outlined mechanisms of support for LNPs to assist them in engaging with partners. This was followed by an open discussion forum and presentations on Future European Funding, Health and Wellbeing Boards , then parallel sessions on LNPs and strategic planning and the Government’s response to the Independent Forestry Panel Review.

 Richard Benyon MP, Minister for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs arrived and gave an outline of LNPs, who made the following points:

• LNPs have a major role in delivering the NEWP ( Natural Environment White Paper)
• They are part of a new approach for managing the environment in a strategic and integrated way
• Improving the environment is one of Defra’s four priorities set out by the Secretary of State
• The support and engagement from LNPs is vital for delivering Lawton e.g. local determined NIAs
• The Town and Country Planning Regulations have been amended to give LNPs the same consultative role as the LEPs in strategic cross boundary planning
• We particularly want to encourage growth in the rural economy and it is vital that we integrate growth and the environment.  LNPs could play an important role in this locally. This was followed by short presentations by three  LNPs, after which the Minister welcomed questions from the floor.

A summary of the event and presentations can be downloaded here.

LNP Min Event 11 Feb 2013 Defra meeting notes

Presentations 2013 Ministeral event