Volunteers to give the tern a helping hand

As part of a £50,000 Heritage Lottery Fund project that will interpret the history and improve the overall visitor experience of the site, volunteers are being sought to help British Waterways staff and Burton Conservation Volunteers build a timber tern raft. This floating platform, which terns will use to nest on, will then be floated at Fradley Pool Nature Reserve.

Common terns spend the summer in Africa but come to the UK to breed each April. Although seabirds, terns often venture inland to build their nests on islands safe from predators, such as foxes, and tern rafts provide an ideal artificial breeding habitat.

Fradley Pool Nature Reserve lies on the junction of the Trent & Mersey and Coventry canals. With an area of open water and two canals, the reserve is an important wetland area home to a wide variety of bird life and waterfowl.

For those with green fingers the day will also provide the opportunity to help plant native woodland plants, which will enhance the woodland for bugs and beasties.

Lawrence Oates from Burton Conservation Volunteers said: “The environment day will give people the opportunity to wrap up warm and have some fun, whilst making a real difference to the many species that call our canals home. In particular it will help to establish Fradley Pool as an attractive, safe place for terns to breed, as they make the long journey over from Africa each year”.

Work on the raft will begin at 10am and it will be floated in Fradley Pool from 1pm onwards. Volunteers for both the raft and woodland activities are asked to meet at Fradley Visitor Centre for 10am with some warm winter clothes, waterproofs and sturdy shoes.

Those wanting to take part can pre-book a place by calling 01827 252240 or simply drop in on the day.