A major habitat restoration project is taking place at Prenton Dell Claypit, as part of the huge conservation project that began earlier this year. Prenton RUFC and National Grid have joined forces in a 10-year partnership in a bid to not only restore the natural beauty of Prenton Claypit, but also provide better access and an educational nature trail for the wider community.
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Work has been undertaken to start restoring the unique habitat that it once possessed — the first target being the wildlife pond. During its breeding months the pond is home to many amphibians including the Great Crested Newt which is one of the most protected species in the UK and Europe due to its decline with the expansion of urbanization and the intensification of agriculture. The Prenton Dell Claypit project represents an excellent opportunity to reinforce the capacity of one pond for breeding of newts.
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Over many years, the pond had become shaded, clogged with silt and prone to drying out before the newts could complete their lifecycle. So, over the last few weeks, scrub has been cleared around the area to allow in sunlight and to stop the abundance of willows sucking up the water from the pond. This being undertaken by members of Prenton Rugby Club alongside groups from The Countryside Volunteers and Community Payback.
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The work took place at the end of September when amphibians were not breeding. The work was supervised by Tom Doherty-Bone from the Wirral Amphibian and Reptile Group (WiARG). Tom is a qualified, licensed ecologist who made sure that no amphibians inadvertently came to harm. The build-up of silt and was removed from the pond thus returning it to its original dimensions, making it, once again an ideal habitat for newts and other amphibians.
By opening the surrounding area, it should also attract more dragonflies and pollinators. The works look quite extreme but were carefully timed to minimise disturbance and allow recovery by the Spring 2025 breeding season.
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Prenton Dell Claypit project leader, Mike Coffin said “Without the advice from experts such as Tom from WiARG and Hilary from Wirral Wildlife, that we would have been brave enough to make such massive changes. I realise that it looks a bit messy at the moment but by next summer, it will be teeming with life. Just brilliant!”
This week, the site was visited by local councillor, Naomi Graham who has been a great supporter of the project. Naomi said: “It is lovely to see the progress being made at Prenton Dell Claypit, a site of biological importance in Prenton. Huge thanks got to everyone who are working to protect and improve the biodiversity of this important and much-loved area”.
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Prenton Dell Claypit is primarily a partnership between Prenton Rugby Club and National Grid as part of their Environmental Action Plan. They are also reliant on the expertise of Wirral Wildlife, WiARG, Butterfly Conservation Society and many more. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer or just find out more about the project, find them at facebook.com/prentondellclaypit. To find out more about the National Grid Action Plan, you can view it at https://www.nationalgrid.com/electricity-transmission/who-we-are/our-environmental-plan-and-performance.
Prenton Claypit / Prenton RUFC Community Hub, Prenton Dell Road, Birkenhead, CH43 3BS
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