Become a River Guardian

Help Mersey Rivers Trust by becoming a River Guardian

As part of water quality improvement projects on Rivacre Brook, Mersey Rivers Trust are looking to train ‘River Guardians’ to monitor water quality in Rivacre Brook and Dibbinsdale Brook. River Guardians are volunteers. They are vital to the work done by Mersey Rivers Trust as the information they collect allows for ongoing monitoring of local watercourses to identify issues and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. The sampling will be a combination of chemical analysis using simple test kits and invertebrate ‘kick’ sampling.

Rivacre Brook. Photo: Sue Adair

You can find out more about the River Guardian programme on the Mersey Rivers Trust website:

https://www.merseyriverstrust.org/index.php/projects/river-guardians

Volunteers will be required to attend a training session and then sample a spot on the river roughly once a month.

The training day will consist of theory and practical sessions:

Date: Saturday 4th September

Time: 10am (until approximately 2:30pm)

Location: Rivacre Valley Country Park (TBC)

All equipment and lunch will be provided.

If you wish to attend this training or have any questions, please email Rebecca Howard (rebecca@merseyrivers.org) and Paul Corner (paulc@merseyrivers.org). Please note places are limited.

The Gates Are Coming Home

Gates to be constructed at New Ferry Butterfly Park

A lot has happened since New Ferry Butterfly Park’s Silver Jubilee Gates design was drawn up in January 2020 by Edd Snell of Above Zero Landscape Architecture.

Being an ambitious project, it has taken nearly 18 months, involving several funding applications three of which were unsuccessful but others were winners. Due to Covid the gate costs have risen and the Park’s income has fallen. So with support from several funding sources - New Ferry and Port Sunlight Community Fund, Wirral Wildlife, The Duchy of Lancaster, Wirral Farmers’ Market Community Fund, Poulton Hall Walled Garden Trust and the recent online public Crowdfunder appeal, our goal his finally been achieved. The first physical steps in realising this project have started this week with the post’s foundations being dug out and strengthened and a start made on the brick pillars by Dunkil Developments Ltd.

There is still a way to go. Once the brick pillars are constructed they will be left for five weeks to allow the pillars to set. Whilst this happens, the final measurements will be taken by Flintshire Fabrications Ltd to make sure the bespoke gates will fit perfectly. Also accurate measurements can be taken for the three decorative tiles inset into each of the brick pillars. These tiles will reflect six separate features you can find in the park. The dimensions of the ceramic tiles need confirming, so that they fit in with the mortar in the brick work in an aesthetically pleasing manner. These bespoke tiles will be fired by Neil Glendinning of Canal Warehouse Workshops Chester and will be painted by Pam Sullivan who created our wonderful Welcome Board. This team of talented people has been carefully coordinated by Edd Snell.

Presently, there are temporary gates at the Park entrance and the Park will remain open as usual throughout the works. It is hoped the gates will be up by the end of the Butterfly Park open season in mid-September ready for a grand opening on Sunday 1st May 2022. Thanks to all our sponsors big and small who have enabled this project to go ahead.

Paul Loughnane

Coastal Changes on Hoylake Beach

Natural coastal change is happening on Hoylake beach through the increased volume of sand being deposited on the shore, encouraging the growth of specialist sand dune and saltmarsh plants. This vegetation is capturing windblown sand. With further growth and stabilisation, fixed dunes will form, preventing sand from being blown onto the prom and nearby streets and gardens.

To try to counter the misinformation and misunderstanding on this subject, Dr Jane Turner (Hoylake resident, member of Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society and BTO surveyor) has created the infographics shown below. Jane has kindly allowed us to reproduce her work.

The changing profile of Hoylake beach

Diagram showing the process of dune ridge development at Hoylake beach

Grass capturing windblown sand

Why increasing amounts of sand are being blown onto the prom

How much sand will the plants protect us from

A comparison of Spartina and Puccinelia grasses

Fears v facts

The effects of the changing beach on wading birds

The effects of the changing beach on non-wading birds