WOODLANDS and waterways in Winsford received much needed attention as part of one of the biggest environmental action weeks of the year.

A team of enthusiastic volunteers from Brunner Mond in Northwich swapped the office for the great outdoors to carry out conservation work at Winsford's largest riverside site, the Weaver Valley Parkway.

The Weaver Parkway, formerly an industrial site, has been transformed into a wildlife haven and the event, hosted by Mersey Basin Campaign and Cheshire County Council, gave volunteers the opportunity to learn about one of Cheshire's rarest butterfly species, the Dinghy Skipper.

Volunteers worked with Cheshire County Council rangers to clear overgrown banks and thin trees in order to provide the right conditions for these special butterflies to survive.

The activities were part of Mersey Basin Week, the Mersey Basin Campaign's annual week of water related activities, events and clean-ups.

Thousands of volunteers, businesses, school children and community groups took part across the region.

Ann Bates, the Mersey Basin Campaign's River Weaver coordinator, said: 'Mersey Basin Week offers something for everyone. It's a great opportunity to get out and about in the Weaver Valley, learn about the environment and make a difference to your local community.'

Action Weaver Valley is a working partnership of public, private and voluntary sector organisations aiming to improve the River Weaver.