A report on the recent efforts to enhance the Yeading Brook West at Spider Park in Ruislip has recently been published on the CVP website. Whilst the report – authored by ZSL (one of the project partners) – emphasises that it is too soon to draw firm conclusions about the long-term benefits of this ambitious project, it does highlight that the initial signs are very encouraging.
Packed with colourful images and written in an engaging style, the 23-page report succinctly summarises the work undertaken by project partner organisations and volunteers to deliver a wide range of ecological, hydrological, geomorphological, and community benefits. It presents the early monitoring results clearly and provides a useful summary of lessons learnt that can help to inform the approach to future projects of this type elsewhere in the Crane catchment. There is a declared intention to revisit and expand the lessons learnt section as additional monitoring data and site observations become available.
Some of the encouraging signs highlighted in the report are:
- an improvement in invertebrate scores and diversity within the restoration zone
- the appearance of olive mayfly nymphs (Baetidae) and caseless caddisflies (Trichoptera)
- an increase in natural marginal physical features (which is particularly important for habitat diversity)
- local people clearly rate the project highly, both for wildlife benefits and community value.
Drawing on the public perception survey work, the report features a couple of ‘word clouds’ capturing local people’s thoughts on the project and their ideas for further features/facilities. This is a great way to show the enthusiasm and positivity that the community has towards the project. It’s good to see words and phrases like ‘love’, ‘amazing’, ‘really nice’ and ‘thank-you’ in the mix.
If you would like to view and/or download the report, please click here.