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A lot of our environmental work is "clustered" in four areas of the county. But there's tons of other stuff going on too! BedsLife partners are active all over Bedfordshire and Luton. Check out our partners' websites to find out about all the great work they do for Bedfordshire's habitats, species and people!
Ouse Valley cluster:
The Ouse valley is the main geographic feature of north Bedfordshire. The River Ouse is substantially larger than other rivers in the county and is navigable up to Bedford. It has a diverse range of fish species, including important populations of barbel and spined loach. The river valley forms a corridor of semi-natural habitat across an intensively managed landscape of farmland. This corridor links together a number of important riverside habitats, allowing species to move from one area to another.
Various habitat restoration projects are taking place along the river. But the biggest new initiative in the Ouse Valley cluster is the Bedford River Valley Park. Located next to Bedford’s Priory Country Park, the complex will form a huge area of accessible greenspace.
But the valley isn’t all about the river! Other projects going on include:
BAP partners working in this cluster include the Forest of Marston Vale, FWAG, Environment Agency and the Wildlife Trust.
Flit Valley cluster:
Carving its way through the middle of Bedfordshire, the Flit Valley is home to some of our most important wetland habitats. Flitwick Moor in particular is an important site for moss and invertebrate species. The valley also has extensive areas of floodplain grazing grassland, which need to be cut regularly or grazed by livestock.
A lot of work is both planned and currently happening in the Flit Valley:
BAP partners working in this cluster include the Greensand Trust, Ivel and Ouse Countryside Project, Wildlife Trust and the Bedford Group of Drainage Boards.
Chalk cluster:
The soils around Luton and Dunstable contain a lot of chalk; in some places you can actually pick up chunks of it! Nationally rare grasslands occur on chalk soils. These grasslands include rare species of orchids and other flowers. They also attract unique communities of insects like beetles and butterflies.
Much of the conservation work in this area is on these chalk grasslands:
BAP partners working in this cluster include the Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, Bedfordshire County Council and the Chilterns Conservation Board.
Bucks Border cluster:
Nestled up against the borders of Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire are the communities of Leighton Buzzard and Woburn. This area is home to two of our county’s largest natural areas: Stockgrove Country Park and Woburn Park. Their proximity to Luton and Milton Keynes means that these areas attract a lot of visitors. Stockgrove Park in particular needs careful management to make sure that its habitats are kept healthy for continued public enjoyment.
There is always a lot happening in this area, including:
BAP partners working in this cluster include the Ivel and Ouse Countryside Project and the Greensand Trust.
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2011-12 is the Year of the Bat! Click here to find out more!
The Winter 2011/12 issue of Wild About Beds is out: have a look at what we're up to!
The November 2010 issue of the Beds & Luton Geology Group newsletter is out. Click here for the latest scoop!
Feb 2011: Check out our report: A Model to Predict Wildlife Site Sensitivity to Visitor Pressure |
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Bedfordshire & Luton Biodiversity Partnership ℅ The Wildlife Trust, Priory Country Park, Barkers Lane Bedford MK41 9DJ |
