OTTERS and water voles are being protected in the shadow of the Stanlow refinery.
Andrew Miller, MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, spoke of his support for the work of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) at the House of Commons last week.
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is undertaking an ambitious Living Landscape scheme across the Gowy & Mersey Washlands near Chester and Ellesmere Port, and with the support of HLF funding is working with local landowners to connect hundreds of hectares of nature reserves with the wider countryside through dedicated management of wildlife habitats.
Mr Miller said: “It was great to hear how HLF-funded Wildlife Trust projects have brought benefits to local wildlife and people this week at Parliament.
“I visited Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Gowy Meadows nature reserve last year, and was keen to hear first hand about the excellent work the trust is doing for creatures such as otters and water voles – all in the shadow of the Stanlow Refinery in my constituency. This really shows what can be done if a local organisation and the community invests in, and values the natural environment.”
Cheshire Wildlife Trust has recently completed a project to provide every local MP across the region with information on the key locations for wildlife, important species and conservation issues in their constituency.
Dr Janel Fone, chief executive of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, said: “With our small team working hard every day making a difference for wildlife on the ground, it is vital for us to meet our local representatives in Parliament ensuring that our work is supported by key decision makers, and that we get the crucial issues affecting the region’s natural environment debated at the highest level.”
