Old Moor reserve

Dearne Valley Green Heart

An amazing place for people Our work so far and for wildlife We have a long history of developing The is characterised by strong partnerships and restoring vital a fantastic mixture of wetland, farmland habitats throughout the Dearne Valley. and woodland and is situated in the proud Over the years we have transformed heart of a former coalfield. Within wetland sites owned by Council easy reach of two million people, the and the Environment Agency into a series Dearne Valley Green Heart (DVGH) is made of thriving nature reserves, creating safe up of nature reserves, ecological buffer and sustainable homes for all kinds of zones and farmland, owned and managed wildlife across the valley. But people love by members of the DVGH partnership. it here too. We’ve renovated the traditional sandstone farm buildings at Old Moor to This partnership consists of Natural create a visitor hub in the heart of the , the Environment Agency, the Dearne Valley – our reserves now receive RSPB, wildlife conservation organisations, over 100,000 visitors every year. local authorities and communities. So important is this partnership and the natural In 2006 the vision for a collaborative value of this beautiful landscape that it approach to preserving this landscape has been made one of only 12 Nature was realised in the form of the DVGH Securing a future Improvement Areas (NIAs) in England. This partnership. Only a year later we undertook for lapwings recognition will help to protect the valley’s an earth-moving project to restore derelict precious spaces and wildlife, ensuring that arable land at Bolton Ings to a 30-hectare There are few more evocative this is a place where people and nature wet grassland and reedbed habitat. A vital sounds in the countryside than the thrive together for generations to come. renovation at Edderthorpe Flash swiftly calls of lapwings defending their followed. This involved the restoration territories. They favour flat, open, We are working hard to preserve elements of the drainage system on this sparse arable land and grassland with of the Dearne Valley’s industrial heritage, washland, providing valuable wet grassland muddy margins and pools as nesting while at the same time building homes for for breeding and roosting waders while sites. Sadly, these once-common a rich variety of birds, plants and animals. increasing flood storage capacity. farmland birds are now in decline and We are, for example, creating wetlands the national picture is a worrying one. in areas of subsidence and a mixture of It’s not all about birds though! We’re also But these perky birds are faring woodland and grassland on spoil heaps. managing habitats for rare plants and better in . butterflies like dingy skippers. We’re Throughout the Dearne Valley we are This landscape makes a significant working with partners and schools to securing important breeding and contribution to national Biodiversity reintroduce globally-threatened eels to roosting habitats. Our wet grassland Action Plan targets, supporting nationally- our washlands and to improve access over sites act as safe, food-rich havens for important numbers of breeding and the weirs on the Dearne by installing fish chicks that are hatched on nearby wintering wading birds and water birds. passes. Our partnership water vole surveys arable land. By working together we The vital habitats here also act as flood have identified regionally-important can help this bird to flourish in the storage areas and buffer zones, protecting colonies of this endangered mammal, Dearne Valley and beyond. valuable land and housing from flooding. which we will help to protect. Rabbit Ings

Grimethorpe

Thurnscoe Darfield

Worsbrough

Produced by RSPB CDMU © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. RSPB licence 100021787

Holyland Elsecar KEY main road Futurescape area Wentworth

Dearne Valley “ Our family has farmed in the Dearne Valley since 1953. Over the past 30 Green Heart years, environmental management has become increasingly important to us. The RSPB’s farmland advisor helped us to develop elements of our Higher Level Stewardship to both support existing birdlife and encourage other species. We are delighted to be part of the ‘greening’ of the Dearne Valley and look forward to continuing to work alongside the RSPB.” Mrs Helen Rhodes, Newhall Farm, Ardsley

What’s next? Get in touch We will continue to work closely with other partners of the We want to hear your ideas about how we can work DVGH partnership on a range of projects to help improve together to make the Dearne Valley Green Heart even and extend core areas of natural importance, while creating better for people and wildlife. and enhancing wildlife buffer zones to improve ecological connectivity across the valley. DVGH Manager DVGH NIA Project Officer Pete Wall Annice Fuller The NIA programme consists of a suite of exciting projects T 01226 273785 T 01226 273784 that range from habitat creation to activities with local landowners, policy makers and communities. It is only by working together that we can make a real difference for wildlife and people throughout the Dearne Valley.

The Dearne Valley Green Heart Futurescapes project has been Natura 2000 – Europe’s Futurescapes is The RSPB is a member supported by Defra, DCLG, Environment Agency, Forestry nature for you. We are generously supported of BirdLife International, Commission and Natural England. working together across the by the EU Life+ a partnership of conservation EU to safeguard Europe’s Communications organisations working to give rich and diverse natural Programme nature a home around the world heritage for the benefit of all

Futurescapes is the RSPB’s contribution to landscape-scale conservation throughout the UK. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654. Images: Old Moor RSPB Reserve and lapwing by Andy Hay (rspb-images.com). Maps produced by RSPB CDMU © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. RSPB licence 100021787. 020-1-1217-13-14