Shopping centre funds wildlife project (From The Northern Echo)
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Shopping centre funds wildlife project
3:48pm Wednesday 22nd February 2012 in Stockton News
PRACTICAL HELP: Mike Clarke, Te esside Shopping Park manager, helps Katie Hopkinson, seven, from Darlington, with her bird box
A SHOPPING centre is investing £26,000 to improve the natural habitat of the surrounding land and give a North-East college an open-air laboratory to study in.
The year-long Wild at Teesside project at Teesside Shopping Park, located off the A66, in Stockton, will aim to attract more insects, birds, animals and plants near the River Tees, including oystercatchers, kingfishers, mute swans, otters and water voles.
Planned works include reed bed management, creation of islands, nest boxes and wildflower planting.
The initiative, funded by Teesside Shopping Park's owner, British Land, also involves Wolsingham-based ecologists Barrett Environmental.
The practical work for the project will be carried out byenvironmental conservation students from East Durham College, in Peterlee, along with local volunteers, employees and schoolchildren.
To launch the event, bird box-making sessions and falconry displays were held at the open air shopping centre on Sunday to encourage customers to get involved.
Mike Clarke, manager at Teesside Shopping Park, said: "It is great that British Land is backing this exciting project with funds which will enable us all to make our environment more interesting and attractive to wildlife.
"Our staff look forward to working with the volunteers to give the wildlife a helping hand."
For further information about upcoming environmental events, visit teessideshoppingpark.co.uk
