WETLAND habitats in Cheshire have been restored by a rural wildlife club.

The pioneering conservation project is aiming to restore, re-create and reconnect wetland habitats in the River Gowy and Mersey corridors.

Richard Gardner, from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Working together with the Frodsham and District Wildfowlers and BASC’s Cheshire Green Shoots officer we’ve been able to devise a project to raise water levels and improve the condition of the reed bed which will have a positive benefit for wildlife and the club.

“It’s a real win-win situation.”

The Frodsham group agreed to raise water levels, improve the condition of the reed bed and create muddy wet areas for wading birds on two hectares of land on Frodsham Marsh to benefit birds such as curlew and snipe as well as a whole host of invertebrates.

Work included creating a large scrape, an area of shallow wetland, and raising water levels by building a series of sluices to enable it to hold water year-round.

Ben Gregory, of The British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: “This was an exciting opportunity to take part in a project working with a shooting club who are committed to conservation. “The Green Shoots project is enabling clubs throughout Cheshire to be actively involved with initiatives such as the Gowy and Mersey Washlands project, demonstrating shooting’s contribution to conservation.”