Redshank in flower by Finley Reynolds
Stourport Riverside Meadows - A Natural Networks Case Study
Along the banks of the River Severn, a stone’s throw from Stourport High Street, a new series of ponds have been created.
Floodwater on Stourport Riverside Meadows before work began by Jasmine Walters
Stourport Riverside Meadows, owned by Wyre Forest District Council, is part of the River Severn’s historical floodplain and is frequently under water during the winter. Over the summer, especially on carnival days, the site is used as an overflow carpark but there was an aspiration to retain some of the wetland habitat seen during the winter, for the benefit of wildlife.
Over the winter of 2022, the Natural Networks team oversaw the creation of a wetland complex – three ponds and a shallow scrape, which almost instantly held water. The following spring, a wetland seed mix was sown around the edges of the ponds, creating flower-rich margins full of purple loosestrife, watermint and redshank. The ponds created habitat for a variety of aquatic insects and a breeding pair of mandarin ducks, with chicks, were spotted using the ponds that summer.
New ponds holding water at Stourport Riverside Meadows by Finley Reynolds
In autumn 2024 the Council enhanced the site further, with the help of another Natural Networks grant, creating an extension to the wetland. A new pond adjacent to the existing ones was dug where the field continued to flood over winter. A new pathway around the ponds was created to improve public accessibility, allowing everyone to enjoy this new habitat. Additionally, more wetland seed was sown to create further nectar-rich habitat for pollinating insects.
As well as being important habitat in their own right, the collection of ponds also creates a vital wildlife stepping stone between the River Severn and Moorhall Nature Reserve. The reserve is similar to the River Seven in that both offer fantastic habitat for a number dragonflies, wetland birds and a whole host of other species. The ponds created at Stourport Riverside Meadows provides greater landscape connectivity, allowing wildlife to move more freely between these important sites.
Creating a new wetland by Finley Reynolds
