Searching for Dragons on the River Nene

Searching for Dragons on the River Nene

A Great Crested newt and a Smooth newt
A Great Crested newt and a Smooth newt Dave Kilbey
Here be Dragons! Wildlife charity Froglife are launching their River Nene Dragon Finder project in Peterborough today.

River Nene Dragon Finder is a fantastic project that will help to conserve reptiles and amphibians native in the area. The project will be working along the length of the River Nene and will involve 125 organisations and visit 91 venues, directly benefiting 52,286 people!  All this has been made possible with the help of a £472,400 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

[quote=Phil Rothwell, HLF Committee member for the East of England] "How can anyone resist the opportunity to go in search of ‘dragons’?" [/quote]

River Nene Dragon Finder will involve local communities, school children, local volunteers and local groups in many activities. Activities include species identification and surveying, pond restoration and creation, 'Swimming with Dragons', Dragon Boat tours, wildlife workshops and wildlife trail fun days. There will also be 'Mapestry' workshops, where volunteers will create a map of the river as a tapestry!

Phil Rothwell, HLF Committee member for the East of England, said: “How can anyone resist the opportunity to go in search of ‘dragons’? This is a fun project dealing with a serious subject, namely the decline of reptile and amphibian numbers. It combines restoration of habitats with learning about wildlife, creative artwork and many opportunities for volunteers of all ages to get involved and help out.”

 

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