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Build wildlife love nests this Valentine's

10th Feb 2012

British Waterways is looking for volunteers to build nest boxes for birds, bats and dormice along the Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal next week.

The activity will be taking place alongside the canal at Wolverley, Worcestershire, during the British Trust for Ornithology’s National Nest Box Week, from 14-21 February. British Waterways is aiming to install more than 50 nest boxes by the canal.

Volunteers are needed to work with British Waterways ecologists to choose locations for nest boxes and install them. They will also be checking established nest boxes and cleaning them out ready for this year’s visitors.

Canal habitats

British Waterways ecologist Paul Wilkinson said “Providing vital shelters for bats and birds and other animals is a great way to ensure that these wonderful creatures make their homes along our waterways. Not only will the boxes encourage them to breed but they will also provide excellent protection from predators and in the long term help boost local populations.”

The waterways offer a great habitat for a number of different wildlife species as these green canal corridors provide excellent shelter and also are a great food source.

Paul said “Our local canals and rivers provide an excellent food source for a whole variety of animals as they are teeming with all kinds of bugs and insects. I hope that, by providing more homes for these wonderful animals, we can encourage them to live right alongside the waterways. I am hoping that these new boxes will attract blue tits, great tits and wallow tits, and bats such as the soprano pipistrelle and Daubenton’s.”

For more information on how you can get involved please contact Paul Wilkinson on 07919 552527 or email British Waterways at volunteer@britishwaterways.co.uk.

Last updated: 10/02/2012

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