Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust

Love Your River Stour- Cradley Heath and Lye

Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust works to restore nature across the area. We are very excited to confirm funding to BBCWT to expand the successful “Love Your River Stour” project into the Black Country areas of Lye and Cradley Heath.

This project is a large-scale community-focused river restoration. Working alongside local communities and with significant staff time BBCWT will transform 3.5 hectares of ancient woodland and 2 kilometres of river. There will also be the creation of 1 hectare of species rich grassland and the planting of 2,000 trees and shrubs.

The project aims are to improve the habitats and water quality and to increase the number of local people accessing the 2 sites. Pathways and access points will be improved for better, safer access.

BBCWT have had great success with the “Love Your River Stour” project in Wolverhampton, seeing an improvement in river quality and an increase in people accessing the site.

As part of the expansion in Lye and Dudley BBCWT will run community engagement activities and volunteer days so local people can get hands on with the river restoration. There will also be the opportunity for 24 young people to train in environmental restoration.