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Our work here
10 March 2011
Sandwell Valley protects a variety of habitats on reclaimed colliery land in Sandwell Borough, near Birmingham. These include open water, wet and dry grassland, reedbed and scrub.
We're managing the reserve as a refuge for wintering wildfowl, breeding wetland birds and passage migrants. Other important wildlife includes reptiles, amphibians and water voles. The reserve provides a valuable urban green space for the local community.
Working for water birds
We are managing the lake to benefit wintering wildfowl, including goosander, shoveler and wigeon, and breeding birds such as lapwings and little ringed plovers. We are also clearing vegetation on the island outside the breeding season to benefit nesting lapwings and roosting water birds and to allow better views for visitors.
Righting the reedbeds
We are working to improve the reedbed for birds such as water rails and reed buntings. Every year we rake out fallen vegetation, cut back scrub and maintain water levels. We're also coppicing and pollarding mature willows in the surrounding wet woodland to provide nesting habitat for willow tits.
Great grassland
We are managing wet grassland areas for breeding lapwings, as well as wintering waders and wildfowl. We mow the grass in autumn, and remove willow scrub to improve visitors' views and give the lapwings' predators fewer places to perch. We also mow and clear dry grassland areas, to keep them open for hunting kestrels and tawny owls, and to encourage wildflowers for insects in summer.
We coppice other scrub areas to improve them for invertebrates and to encourage birds such as wrens and robins.
Working with people
We are maintaining our visitor centre, and upgrading our facilities to include new hides, boardwalks and wheelchair access points. We are also maintaining the feeding stations and dipping ponds in the wildlife garden.
We provide an exciting and educational experience for up to 35,000 visitors a year, offering family events, training courses, surveys and volunteer opportunities. We are also using the reserve to demonstrate best practice in environmental education and urban conservation, whilst working to strengthen our links with key supporters, target audiences and the local community.
Our funders
This nature reserve has received kind support through financial contributions from: Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust, Cory Environmental Trust in Britain and WREN through the Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme), Advantage West Midlands and Natural England through the Natural Assets grant programme and Charitable Trusts, RSPB local groups and supporters.
How you can help
We need your support to continue our work
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