Volunteers and local boaters have planted bulbs, trees and shrubs in support of Oxford City Council’s drive to improve the waterways and boost biodiversity, support wildlife and fight climate change
Volunteers and local boaters have planted bulbs, trees and shrubs in support of Oxford City Council’s drive to improve the waterways and boost biodiversity, support wildlife and fight climate change.
Up to 5,000 snowdrop and bluebell bulbs were planted and wildflower seeds sown by the Canal & River Trust’s Towpath Taskforce volunteers and boaters living on the residential canal moorings in Summertown and Wolvercote. Members of the Waterways Estate Residents’ Association in Summertown have also planted bulbs and sown wildflower seed.
City councillors joined volunteers from the Friends of the Trap Grounds nature reserve, located on the Oxford Canal near Frenchay Road in north Oxford. They planted 15 new trees, 350 hedging plants and shrubs, hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose, crab apple, field maple and rowan, which will provide berries and important habitats for wildlife.
The 750 waterside marginal plants are part of a campaign which includes new bird-nesting boxes, insect-hotels, hedgehog and toad habitats and kingfisher-posts will be installed.
This latest initiative is part of the City Council’s Oxford Waterways Project which was launched last year.
It works with partners and local residents to improve the waterways and make the most of the benefits to those who live in and visit Oxford.
In the recommendations from the Oxford Citizens Assembly on Climate Change, enhanced biodiversity was seen as central to the overall ‘net zero’ vision of Oxford and it was recognised that tackling climate change and ecological breakdown together was important.
Assembly Members were positive about creating more biodiversity and green space around Oxford. They found that protecting and enhancing biodiversity and “greening” the city was a key route to engagement with communities and individuals, and recognised that responsibility for biodiversity was spread across government at local and national levels and citizens.
