Restoring Fenay Beck

The ‘Restoring Fenay Beck’ project, funded by Biffa Award, is a one year project which aims to improve and create habitat along the Fenay Beck. The beck runs from the easterly outskirts of Huddersfield through to Shepley, in Kirklees, West Yorkshire. Over the years, the beck has been altered heavily by humans, which has had a negative impact on its habitat, wildlife and water quality.

Key Aims

Working with the local community to create new habitat and put in measures to reduce diffuse pollution and stabilise the riverbanks, as well as collaborating closely with local landowners to improve agricultural practices. This work will bring direct and indirect benefits for locally important species such as great-crested newt, water vole, brown long-eared bat, noctule bat, soprano pipistrelle bat, otter, reedbunting and a wide range of aquatic invertebrate species, delivering multiple benefits to both people and wildlife in the surrounding area.

What we are doing

We are working across four different sites to help stablise the banks through techniques such as willow spiling and putting in fencing to restrict livestock access to the beck which can cause erosion.

We are restoring and improving existing habitat by planting trees, carrying out scrub control, removing harmful invasive plant species and putting up bird and bat boxes to provide homes for many species found in the area.

We are also recruiting and training local people to become volunteer surveyors. These people can then monitor the beck's water quality in the coming months and years.

How you can help

If you would like to help us restore Fenay Beck then you can come along to our practical task days, community events, or join our surveyors! Contact volunteering@ywt.org.uk for more information.