Barrie Wilkinson
Geoff Trinder
This huge flat landscape, much of it below sea-level, crosses from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire into Yorkshire. It is an extraordinary mix of wildlife wilderness and top-quality farmland.
A huge flat plain spanning over 2,000 square kilometres, occupying the area of the former pro-glacial Lake Humber. It straddles the borders of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire where rivers draining one fifth of England meet the Humber Estuary. The land here is mostly less than 10m above sea level and in some areas lies below sea level.
The Humberhead Levels is a great place to visit for an extraordinary range of wildlife. The great mires, birch woodlands and reedbeds of the area support species like the nightjar, adder, bittern, water vole, marsh harrier, otter, nightingale, large heath butterfly and amazing unique tiny creatures such as the Thorne pin-palp beetle, the bog hog beetle, the hairy canary fly and the scarce vapourer moth.
What's happening
Humberhead Levels Partnership
The Humberhead Levels Partnership is a cooperative effort aiming to create an internationally renowned, unique network of wetlands in a predominantly agricultural landscape, whilst supporting thriving communities and wildlife. One of its key aims is to work with local businesses, landowners, communities and other organisations to achieve sustainable land management practices.
Nature Improvement Area
The Humberhead Levels is one of twelve Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) in England, which were announced on the 27 February 2012. At least 1,427 hectares of wetland habitat will be restored through a £1.7 million action programme with £580,000 received through DEFRAs NIA funding scheme.
Through the NIA, the Humberhead Levels Partnership aims to:
- Create key habitats including lowland raised peat bogs
- Achieve sustainable water management in an arable landscape through enhancement of riparian habitats along connecting rivers and drains
- Increase the hydrological integrity of England's largest lowland raised mire system
- Deliver sustainable management of existing biodiversity assets through the development of the local green economy
- Increase community links to biodiversity sites to increase volunteer support for site management, heritage conservation and interpretation
Humberhead Levels Nature Improvement Area
CONNECT
The CONNECT Project is all about getting people involved in their local green spaces within the Humberhead Levels Nature Improvement Area (NIA).
Visit the CONNECT Project pages of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust website for details of events and training.