News
Natural Course discuss long-term solutions for the water environment with new Defra minister
In September, Natural Course Programme Manager Dave Marshall joined colleagues from the Environment Agency and the Canal and Rivers Trust to meet with Trudy Harrison MP – the newly appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in Defra. The meeting took place at Toddbrook Reservoir (the site where, following intense heavy…
Natural Course hosts international visit to Greater Manchester
Natural Course and the Estonian LIFE Project Urban Storm have a common interest in sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in urban settings and began sharing case studies with each other back in 2019. After a few years of networking remotely, it was our pleasure to welcome partners from Urban Storm to…
Blog: EU Life Integrated Projects – What did we learn?
Natural Course attends workshop on LIFE Integrated Projects in Helsinki We caught up with Daniel – who attended on behalf of Natural Course – to find out more. As Project Manager for Natural Course, I am fortunate to be part of a fantastic community of LIFE Integrated Projects, so it…
Taking a Natural Capital Approach: New video published by Natural Course
Using a natural capital approach to understand and value the benefits to society from the natural environment has gained momentum and grown in prominence over the past few years. It has been a significant area of focus for Natural Course over both Phases 3 and 4 of our work, and…
Natural Course at the River Restoration Centre Annual Network Conference
Members of the Natural Course team and our partners recently had the opportunity to attend and present about our work at the June 2022 River Restoration Centre Annual Network Conference. The conference theme ‘making river restoration mainstream’ aligned perfectly with our projects, and so we were extremely pleased to have…
Natural Course: Leading the way for natural flood management in the Wyre catchment
When Natural Course was first initiated, natural flood management (NFM) was an emerging topic. It was not well-tested or implemented in the UK and there were significant evidence gaps. In this latest article, we chart how our work over the past 7 years has played a critical role in developing…
Water samples collected from rivers across Greater Manchester in new survey investigating microplastic contamination
The first set of water samples have been collected as part of a two-year study of microplastic contamination in rivers across Greater Manchester. The initial samples were taken April and are the first of three sampling campaigns scheduled for spring, summer and winter 2022. A total of 12 samples were…
Project update: Rostherne Mere wetlands… one year on.
It’s been just over a year since we created the wetlands at Rostherne Mere. Since then, the site has transformed from an over-grazed field through to a fully functioning wetland thriving with wildlife. Plant life has flourished, with a variety of plants naturally colonising the wetlands and reintroductions of Marsh…
Mission possible!
Here at Natural Course, we have an extensive monitoring and evaluation programme which includes detailed interim reports and the hosting of formal ‘Mission’ visits from NEEMO (the external monitors for LIFE Projects). At the start of May, we hosted a very successful two-day Mission in Penrith. We were joined in…
Blog: Delivering a Natural Capital Approach in Greater Manchester
We caught up with Krista Patrick, Natural Capital Coordinator at GMCA to learn how the natural capital approach has evolved in Greater Manchester. Background The growing need to conserve and enhance natural capital is well documented. We know that we are depleting natural resources faster than the earth can replenish them. …