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British Waterways and the protection of aquatic plants


BW ecologists don't just work to protect animals and birdlife. BW is also one of the UK’s top organisations for preserving rare plant life, which relies on our waterways to survive.

One such plant is floating water plantain. Now, thanks to our conservation partnership with Chester Zoo, visitors to the zoo will be able to see this waterway plant, which is one of Europe’s rarest, as part of their native species exhibit.

Floating water plantain lives in fresh water, in rivers, lakes, ponds and canals. Thin bright green leaves grow under the water with broad oval leaves and delicate white flowers floating on the water’s surface during summer months. It is found in North Wales and the North West of England and has declined in the UK due to loss of habitat and water pollution.

The good news is that our canals are recognised as being a UK stronghold for the plant, which is legally protected throughout Europe due to its scarcity.

Canals such as the Rochdale, Montgomery and the Cannock Extension are important for its survival and have been designated as European Special Areas of Conservation because of it. British Waterways developed pioneering techniques for the conservation of this rare species for the Rochdale Canal restoration. Using these techniques national ecologist Chris John and a team of horticulturalists from Chester Zoo collected the plant to propagate and maintain in specially built ponds at the zoo.

Canals make valuable contribution to British wildlife

Last month, following the successful establishment of the ponds, an interpretation board providing information about this rare species and the role of canals in its conservation went on public display. Last year the zoo was visited by 1.4 million people, so the display will help raise public awareness of its plight, encouraging people to seek out native wildlife and demonstrate the valuable contribution that canals make to British wildlife.

Chris John said: "Plants are an often overlooked part of biodiversity conservation and it is great news that with our help Chester Zoo has successfully created this new exhibit to help raise awareness that plants are of some of our most vulnerable species. We hope to continue working with the zoo to provide advice and expertise to help them create a similar display for another rare aquatic plant species, grasswrack pondweed."

Last updated: 16/06/2010

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