Landscape Partnerships
The meres (glacial lakes) and mosses (meres which have been filled with peat over the millenia) are difficult to conserve. Fed by percolating ground waters, they need management at a landscape scale. Despite having more international conservation designations than the Lake District, local engagement with heritage was low.
A new partnership of local agencies is improving the landscape and access to it, as well as raising awareness of what makes it so special.
Community grants are helping groups make local improvements. Work to meres designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) created new wetland habitat. The Second World War control tower at Prees Heath Common has been restored, and an archaeological dig has confirmed Iron Age remains. Events run throughout the year, including the annual Merefest which attracted more than 2,500 people in 2014.
Farm grants are helping local landowners and farmers with nutrient management and traditional landscaping skills to help protect vulnerable sites.New walks and cycle routes now allow better public access, and a digital interpretation project is engaging young people, ensuring the next generation also appreciates this special landscape.
[quote]This landscape is full of natural and built heritage gems, and the LPS team is finding that people are really starting to engage with what is on their doorstep through the community engagement, events and education programmes that the scheme is delivering. Now people come to us to tell us why the Meres and Mosses is so special! [/quote]
Tom Hayek, Programme Manager, The Meres and Mosses of the Marches