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Community Engagement and Species Monitoring
The Sherbourne Valley Project has had a very active start to Spring! This is the season where we transition from frosty habitat management, towards surveying and monitoring of the species on our sites. Read on to find out how we’ve been encouraging the community to get stuck into nature, the exciting outcomes of the City Nature Challenge and some curious creatures we’ve encountered along the way.
Bird and Photography Walk
On April 3rd we ventured to Charterhouse, where the site was a hive of Spring activity. Over 15 of us ventured out for a walk with Les a talented local photographer and friend of The Sherbourne Valley Project. Les is a regular at Charterhouse and has unique knowledge of the usual haunts of a variety of bird species on site. We were privileged to encounter many songbirds on our walk, along with wetland species like little egret.
City Nature Challenge:
We couldn’t reflect on April without talking about City Nature Challenge! Throughout the weekend we hosted a plethora of activities to encourage Coventry to connect with nature. Records of species were logged on the iNaturalist app by 165 observers which helped to generate research grade data.
Friday: On Friday we were at Charterhouse running activities for families, a community pond dip/newt observation and a popular late-night bat walk with detectors. It was great to facilitate safe access to nocturnal nature.
Saturday: On Saturday we were at Lakeview park sweep netting for invertebrates and conducting an inaugural dip of our new ponds. We were joined by Warwickshire Wildlife’s Youth Committee who assisted in our activities.
Sunday: On Sunday we ventured to the beautiful Coundon Wedge to encourage more iNaturalist records. We also made an astonishing discovery! In the Sherbourne’s new channel we found a Stonefly, a species usually only found in high oxygenated upland streams. This is a fantastic indicator of the water quality that has been created in this area.
The City Nature Challenge was a great success! Coventry and Warwickshire scored 9th on the leaderboard within the UK, with 6094 observations, comprising of 1295 species. We are thrilled to see so much engagement with nature and encourage everyone to keep logging records throughout the year to contribute to conservation data.
Junior Rangers
This month we launched our Junior Rangers programme for 11–17-year-olds pioneered by our Education Officer Jen Tabb. This event offers a chance for young people to meet peers, explore nature and learn practical new skills which could inspire a green career. The first session was a fun-filled expedition at Lakeview Park putting out reptile mats, feeding tadpoles, discovering 17th Century pottery and creating grass flutes.
What have we learned?
Monitoring species on our sites is essential to understanding how our work is shaping the landscape. Are you passionate about wildlife and looking for opportunities to support surveying? We are currently developing our Wildlife Monitoring volunteer role and would love to hear from you. Please email sherbourne@wkwt.org.uk to get involved.
Alternatively, keep an eye out for upcoming Himalayan Balsam pulling sessions across our sites to help us tackle invasive plants!
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In March 2025, we will be carrying out restoration works in Charterhouse Heritage Park with approved contractors. The project aims to re-naturalise the River Sherbourne which flows through Coventry, improving it for nature and for local communities. There will be several elements to this particular restoration project, all of which will have a positive effect on the river and surrounding area in both short-term and long-term scenarios.
In November 2024, we will be carrying out restoration works in Lake View Park with approved contractors Ecolibrium Environmental Contracting Ltd. The project will have multiple elements, including on-river and off-river restoration, which will improve features for people and nature.
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A selection of community events and conservation activities from March, showcasing the diverse ways the Sherbourne Valley Project engaged with volunteers and local groups. From tree planting and litter picking to educational talks and creative photography sessions, these events reflect our ongoing commitment to nature restoration and community involvement.
Through interactive activities, wildlife exhibits, and discussions, the project engaged with young communities and promoted nature conservation and sustainability.
