News
Natural Course: Sharing challenges and successes with Defra Permanent Secretary
Read moreNatural Course meets the Defra Permanent Secretary Tamara Finkelstein to discuss the challenges faced across the North West to improve water quality Permanent Secretary impressed by the breakthrough initiatives being delivered by Natural Course and the influence it is having across the Environment Agency Since its initiation in 2014,…
The River Irwell: a vital habitat for wetland birds
Read moreRivers up and down the country provide important habitats for a wide variety of species, including invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals. In the North West, the River Irwell in Greater Manchester provides a particular haven for wintering ducks, with regionally significant numbers of goldeneye and tufted ducks being recorded. The…
Natural Course celebrates winning top award at the Landscape Institute Awards ceremony
Read moreNatural Course is pleased to announce success at the Landscape Institute Awards Ceremony 2019 winning in the ‘Transforming through Management and Science’ category The ceremony celebrates the value of landscape in connecting people, place and nature, with awards presented to professionals in recognition of their outstanding work and to encourage…
Restoring rivers the Natural Course way
Read moreWork has taken place on Eagley Brook in Bolton to remove a weir, marking another step in the journey of improving rivers and waterbodies across the North West of England for Natural Course. The work has opened over two kilometres of the brook, allowing fish like Brown Trout to pass…
Emma Howard Boyd finds out about CLIMB
Read moreDuring her recent visit to the North West seeing partnership working in action, the Environment Agency’s Chair, Emma Howard Boyd was given the opportunity to find out more about the new CLIMB initiative. The recently launched CLIMB (Challenging Links Integrating Multiple Benefits) was showcased as the exciting new approach to…
Natural Course reaches a milestone in delivery
Read moreThe LIFE Integrated Project Natural Course reached a significant milestone in July, celebrating the end of the second phase of delivery, marking the midpoint of the 10 year project. This coincided with the submission of the Phase 2 report to the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) of…
Natural Course River Irwell project highly commended at prominent awards ceremony
Read moreA Natural Course project has been recognised at this year’s annual awards of The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). The awards celebrate excellence in the fields of ecology and environmental management, honouring projects that demonstrate exemplary and inspirational best practice in their industry. The River Irwell…
Brown trout have been tracked since new fish pass was put in place
Read moreAdult brown trout have been tracked moving past a 4-metre weir in Great Harwood, for the first time since at least 1844. A bypass, created by Ribble Rivers Trust as part of the Natural Course project, was officially opened in October 2017. It was the first of two large weirs…
Investing in natural environment is good for our economy as well as our health, says new report
Read more– Greater Manchester is developing an innovative Natural Capital Investment Plan – first of its kind for a UK city region – Securing the long-term future of our environment delivers social and financial returns – Plan is a result of last year’s Green Summit and key component of forthcoming five-year…
Monitoring and restoration of freshwater (mussel) habitats – International conference
Read moreNatural Course representatives from local Rivers Trusts attended the International Seminar on the monitoring and restoration of freshwater (mussel) habitats, held in Luxembourg in November 2018. Thanks to Natural Course funding, Chris West and Diane O’Leary from West Cumbria Rivers Trust were able to attend this 2-day conference hosted by…