Mulgrave Estate, near Whitby, completes £20,000 pioneering wetlands project

The 15,000-acre estate has transformed some of its working farmland into wetland habitats which are now creating a brighter and safer future for wetland birds, dragonflies, damselflies, amphibians and invertebrates such as diving beetles, backswimmers and pond skaters.

The estate has built new and inter-connected conservation ponds at Lythe and Goldsborough.

This project has been supported by the North York Moors National Park Authority as part of its role to deliver Landscape and Ecology projects to offset the impacts of the Anglo American Woodsmith Mine development.

It comes in the wake of an influential report by Sir John Lawton, which criticised England’s wildlife sites and ecology policy for not promoting a coherent, joined-up and resilient ecological network.

John Beech, Assistant Rural Surveyor with the estate, said: “This is an extremely significant project for us, which is very close to our hearts.”