Conservation

Passionate about conservation

A small team of rangers and volunteers work throughout the year to look after Wyre's delicate landscape and habitats, tending to woodlands, meadows, sand dunes, heathland, moorland, saltmarshes, freshwater wetlands, ponds and riverscapes.

Their work helps to preserve important green spaces which provide places for people to get closer to nature, and to improve their health and wellbeing. These spaces also help to capture and store carbon and make space for water.

From our beautiful green spaces to our vast coastal stretch, every individual action we take locally can have a far reaching impact. One of the best ways you can make a real difference is to come along to some of our conservation events, beach cleans and ecology days, where you can not only help look after the local environment, but also learn more about nature and understand why it is best left undisturbed.

Ecology Days

Held mainly at Wyre Estuary Country Park, the courses are organised by the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) and supported by Wyre Rivers Trust, Wyre Waters Catchment Partnership and Wyre Council. Visit page 35 of the Wyre's Great Outdoors brochure to view a list of our 2022 ecology days and find booking information.

Beach Cleans

Help us to improve our coastal environment and tackle a global problem by coming along to one of our regular beach cleans! Groups are situated all around the coast and you can find full details for each one on page 52 of the Wyre's Great Outdoors brochure.

Conservation Days

We run a variety of conservation days throughout the year, where you can come along to help to manage woodlands, upgrade access points, maintain public rights of way and much more. Visit page 51 of the Wyre's Great Outdoors brochure for dates and information.

Young people can learn more about the environment and conservation as a member of Wyre's Teen Rangers!

Are you aged 14 to 18, care about climate change, and enjoy seeing and learning about wildlife? Are you undertaking a Duke of Edinburgh Award or interested in taking part in the John Muir Discovery Award?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Wyre's Teen Rangers programme is perfect for you! Help us to look after Wyre's coast and countryside, taking part in a variety of activities such as tree planting, wildlife surveys, beach cleans, and the management of local habitats.

Interested in joining the team?

Wyre's Teen Rangers meet monthly on varied weekend days, and some weekdays in the school holidays. For more information or to register as a Teen Ranger, please contact our Rangers on 07976 650803 or email us at countrysideservice@wyre.gov.uk

Parent/guardian approval is required. All participants should wear suitable clothing and footwear for outdoor activity and bring a snack and drink.

The John Muir Award encourages people of all backgrounds to connect with, enjoy and care for wild places.

Wyre Council is working in partnership with the Dynamic Dunescapes Project, Wyre Rivers Trust, Royal Society of Biology and many other organsations to promote a better understanding of the Wyre Estuary and the wonderful wild spaces within it.

The John Muir Award is an environmental award scheme focused on wild places, and is a great way for the community to get involved with environmental work, encouraging awareness and responsibility for the natural environment in a spirit of fun, adventure and exploration.

Best suited for those participants working at the later stage of primary education and beyond. Adults are welcome to get involved too – on their own, in groups or alongside younger participants.

If you would like to take part with your school, youth, family or adult group please contact us at countrysideservice@wyre.gov.uk

Help us all have a better understanding of our planet

Citizen science projects such as dune surveys, shore searches, bug and invertebrate surveys and more are instrumental in helping to understand the impacts of climate change and inform better decisions for the conservation of wildlife and habitats.

If you'd like to get involved in citizen science projects in Wyre, visit www.wyre.gov.uk/climatechange

We're always eager to add to our amazing team of coast and countryside volunteers!

From leading cycle sessions and guiding walks, to volunteering at Rossall Point Tower or exploring Wyre's heritage at the Grade II* listed Marsh Mill, there's an opportunity suited to everyone. If you have a passion for nature and ecology, like to meet new people or just love the great outdoors, we'd love to hear from you! To find out more visit www.wyre.gov.uk/volunteering

Working for an improved environment across the Wyre catchment in north west Lancashire

The River Wyre is a short river unique in England in that it flows through only one county, Lancashire! At its mouth in Fleetwood, vast flocks of migrating birds gather on the mudflats of the estuary to feed, framed by the purple sea lavender which inhabits vast expanses of ungrazed saltmarsh. Salmon and trout meander their way up the glides and riffles of the River Wyre, stopping to rest in calmer pools. At the source of the river on the edge of the Forest of Bowland, wading birds nest in diverse grasslands and the moorland glows with a purple hue.

The River Wyre and its communities face many issues. Runoff from roads and farmland as well as sediments and wastewater affect water quality and can harm river life as well as our water supply. Floods cause damage to businesses and properties. Modifications such as weirs disconnect habitats within the river, preventing the migration of a wide range of fish species and natural processes occurring within the river.

The Wyre Rivers Trust works to conserve and enhance habitats on the river Wyre, improving water quality and habitat quality, increasing connectivity, water quantity and delivering projects to help reduce flood risk. Through a programme of monitoring, restoration and education we work with partners from all sectors to create a better Wyre catchment for people and wildlife.

Dynamic Dunescapes

is an ambitious project, rejuvenating some of England & Wales' most important sand dunes for people, communities and wildlife.

Many of us know and love sand dunes as beautiful coastal landscapes, but they are also great natural habitats that can protect our coastal communities from the threat of sea level rise due to climate change.

What's more, dunes are important biodiversity hotspots. The sand dunes in Fleetwood are a sanctuary for a diverse range of coastal plants, wildflowers and pollinators adapted to live on sandy mobile dunes.

But these special creatures are at risk. Over time, many dunes have become covered by grass and scrub which have over-stabilised the sand, and invasive species have overtaken native ones. We now know that a dune environment needs areas of freely-moving sand, healthy sheltered dune slacks and areas with low vegetation to support its diverse wildlife. We’re using pioneering conservation techniques to rejuvenate the dunes and make their shifting sands the perfect home for our threatened wildlife again. You can help us to look after the dunes by coming along to our conservation events, where you can help to remove invasive species such as Rosa Rugosa, litter pick along the dunes and beaches, and learn more about dune wildlife and the importance of our dunes. You can become a dune detective to help us to record the wildlife that you see on the dunes, or take part in the Dune Discovery John Muir Award with the Dynamic Dunescapes team.

For more information visit www.dynamicdunescapes.co.uk or contact our Community Engagement Officer by emailing EveM@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk

Dynamic Dunescapes is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the EU LIFE Programme and the project partners