Project Reedbed, Lee Navigation

“Creating reedbeds benefits aquatic birds and other wildlife as well as improving water quality, improving the appearance of a waterway and they are of educational value” - John Archer, Tower Hamlets Biodiversity Officer

The story so far How has it helped wildlife?

Ease of travel on this waterway has been the  Two wildfowl nesting platforms are in use main purpose of its locks, and by swans and coots, and a kingfisher was AFTER – a completed reedbed smartens up the straightened banks. The aptly named Lee spotted on the installation. river’s appearance and provides vital habitat for wildlife Navigation, which runs from rural  Reedbeds provide sheltered habitat for through the heart of urban coarse fish such as carp, bream and roach, London struggles with pollution from road plus invertebrates such as dragonflies and run-off. Project Reedbed was set up to damsel flies. enhance existing reedbeds and create new  Introducing native plants, such as marsh ones; not only to provide habitats and a marigold, water mint and yellow flag iris, place for fish to spawn, but also to improve is helping to increase biodiversity. water quality by filtering pollutants. How has it helped people? The river was restored by  A chance to connect with nature within a BEFORE – Thames21 volunteers help install the  Installing 600sqm of vegetation, heavily urbanised area reedbed mostly a mix of common reed and  Improved angling and birdwatching native pollution-busting vegetation  People are volunteering with Thames21 to  Installing 250sqm of state-of-the-art help maintain the river & its reedbeds floating ecosystems on the surface,  Thames 21 is training local Londoners in attached to waterway walls habitat management  Planting 324sqm of vegetation along the banks Partnership organisations  Enhancing and maintaining more than Thames 21, , and Nearest Station: Tottenham Hale 1500 sqmof existing reedbed River Trust, Regional Park