Sustrans, the charity which created the National Cycle Network, is running a series of events to try to find out what wildlife lives on local cycle paths around Ilkeston. In particular the Nutbrook Trail, part of NCN 67 from Long Eaton to Heanor, is one of our Greener Greenways. This project aims to improve the network for people and wildlife through community events, conservation management and habitat creation.
As part of Greener Greenways we will be hosting a free fun, family friendly day on the Nutbrook Trail near the Straws Bridge Nature Reserve on Thursday 11th August from 12 to 8pm. There will be wildlife events including guided walks and activities, demonstrations and games.
We will also be carrying out citizen science projects to collect information on the number of species we have on the trail. This BioBlitz approach concentrates our efforts on one small area to try and find as many different species as possible in one day. We can compare this information to previous surveys of the route to track changes in the plants and animals that live along the path.
David Watson, ecologist at Sustrans said: “The Nutbrook Trail is a great place to escape from busy roads and traffic and see some amazing wildlife. I’m hoping that by concentrating our efforts we can really learn a lot about the trail so we can make it even better in the future.”
For more information on the Nutbrook Trail BioBlitz or to find out more about the Greener Greenways project, please email david.watson@sustrans.org.uk or visit www.sustrans.org.uk.
