Fantastic Filey Dams
Encouraging everyone to discover nature on their doorstep is a key part of our charitable work. Filey Dams Nature Reserve is a wonderful place for wildlife, its freshwater marsh attracts many birds, amphibians, mammals and insects such as damsel and dragonflies.
Key aims
We are working to ensure a range of wildlife can continue to benefit from this lovely site and also that many people can enjoy the site safely and without disturbing the wildlife.
What we are doing
Supported by Filey Bird Observatory Trust and with funding from The Green Bank Trust, Tesco, Yorventure, the Friends of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Jubilee Club and our members, we have been working to improve the wildlife habitats at Filey Dams and the viewing facilities.
Work has included re-profiling the wetland habitat, creating new shallow water and mud areas known as scrapes. These scrapes provide great habitat for little wetland critters, invertebrates that provide food for wetland birds, such as greenshank, dunlin and green sandpipers. We hope the new scrapes will attract these birds as they pass through on migration.
In 2018, we will be improving the fencing of the grassland areas to allow those to be better managed by grazing cattle. This keeps the grasslands free from being dominated by coarser species, allowing a range of wild flowers to grow.
The project will culminate in the opening of a brand new wildlife viewing hide which will enable people to get close views of wildlife using the wetlands without creating disturbance.
How you can help
We would love you to volunteer and join a practical task day at Filey Dams!
Take a look at our volunteering pages for an insight into what you may be able to get up to
Contact the volunteering team by emailing volunteering@ywt.org.uk or calling 01904 659570.
Funders
Tesco Bags for Life, Yorventure, Green Bank Trust, Filey Bird Observatory Group, Friends of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Jubilee Club.
