New conservation heart for County Durham

A major new conservation project is proposed for the heart of County Durham. The idea is to be explored in a local, national and European context at a conference and exhibition to be held from October 18-22 at County Hall, Durham.

The England Biodiversity Group has recommended that central Durham should be one of the country’s first Integrated Biodiversity Delivery Areas, where priority will be given to conserving wildlife and creating new habitats.

The free

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TV presenter backs bid to help threatened woodland birds

A County Durham couple have stepped forward to help the region’s threatened woodland birds.

Janice and Michael Baker, whose son Matt Baker presents BBC TV’s Countryfile, have shown that a love of the environment runs deep in the family by pledging to improve an 8 hectare (20 acre) ancient wood on their organic sheep farm near Tow Law for species like Pied Flycatcher and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

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Durham Wildlife Trust lands rare reserve

Durham Wildlife Trust is celebrating the acquisition of its newest nature reserve at Stanley Moss, approximately 2 miles east of Tow Law in Weardale.

Stanley Moss is one of the very few remaining blanket peat bogs in the lowlands of County Durham.

Extending 7.5 hectares, it once covered a much larger area but the vast majority of this type of habitat has been lost due to opencast coal mining, forestry and agricultural improvements.

The vegetation

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