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Council and RSPB to improve biodiversity in Malvern meadow

Malvern Hills District Council Simon Evans, Secretary of Worcester and Malvern RSPB local group, Alastair Pounder, Biodiversity Project Officer, Cllr Beverley Nielsen, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Janet Jones from Worcester and Malvern RSPB local group.Malvern Hills District Council
The council has teamed up with RSPB to protect vulnerable species at a meadow in Hallow

A council has joined forces with a bird protection charity to improve biodiversity in a meadow on the River Severn floodplain.

Malvern Hills District Council and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) aim to protect vulnerable species at the site in Hallow.

The 18 hectares of land were bought by the authority in 2020.

The meadow will also be managed to increase carbon capture and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.

The partners hope to create valuable habitats including wet woodland and fen.

Alastair Pounder, biodiversity project officer at Malvern Hills District Council, said: "The council's investment in land at Hallow demonstrated foresight in a changing environment.

"It provides the opportunity to restore and conserve precious habitats for wildlife and people in the district while contributing to climate resilience through carbon capture, improving water quality and alleviating flooding."

Malvern Hills District Council MeadowMalvern Hills District Council
As the River Severn acts as an important bird migration highway, the site will provide fuel for them

The council added that due to the meadow being on the River Severn floodplain, the restored fen and marsh habitat would feed migratory birds and enable declining species such as lapwing and redshank to breed.

The project also hopes the meadow will provide a habitat for vulnerable plants such as snakes-head fritillary and mammals including several bat species.

Simon Evans, the secretary of the Worcester and Malvern branch of RSPB, said he was "thrilled" to be working on the site.

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