A Walk on the Wild Side

Nene Park is not just a beloved green space for local residents in Peterborough and the surrounding areas, it’s also home to numerous species of birds, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals. The Moment spoke to conservation manager, Chris Rollason, to discover more about the charity’s work to welcome wildlife into the Park.

Known throughout the region as a special place to visit and enjoy time together in the great outdoors, Nene Park provides around 2,000 acres of green space for leisure pursuits, exercise, family fun, or simply to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of nature. The ‘icing on the cake’, however, is the fact that it provides a fascinating patchwork of interconnected habitats and biodiversity-rich land that’s simply perfect for wildlife.

Nene Park is made up of six different areas: Ferry Meadows, Orton Meadows, Orton Mere, Woodston Reach, Thorpe Meadows and The Rural Estate: a rich tapestry of parkland, meadows, woodlands and lakes sewn together by the River Nene. With a vision to be the region’s favourite park, Nene Park Trust (the charity that manages the estate) aims to provide a wide choice of recreational activities for community groups, residents, and visitors, as well as creating and conserving a permanent haven for wildlife.

And there’s plenty of wildlife to spot! From otters, herons, deer, dragonflies and the familiar blue and orange flash of kingfishers that can be spotted along the riverbank, through to the wide range of migrating birds that come to the restored wetland meadows and woodlands, there is lots to discover. Foxes and badgers make themselves at home in the Park, as well as smaller mammals like voles, shrews and mice. The assortment of habitats, including the lakes and flood meadows, provide feeding sites for visiting water birds during the winter months as well as breeding grounds for other migrants in summer.

There is so much wildlife for visitors to spot – if you’re lucky enough!

A collaborative impact
The responsibility for positive environmental stewardship on such an important parcel of urban and rural land is huge. But it’s in very safe hands. Overseeing the habitat management
and the delivery of nature conservation projects is Chris Rollason, who originally joined the Trust as a trainee back in 2012. Chris now manages the conservation ranger team as well as supporting the wider operations of the park. It’s a role he relishes.

Chris explains: ‘Nene Park is an incredibly important mix of habitats. It sits within the Nene Valley corridor and encompasses an important section of the River Nene. It’s all about looking beyond those borders and working with partners to create a landscape- scale wildlife corridor. We know we’re a significant part of a much bigger jigsaw when it comes to conservation and biodiversity in the region.’ Nene Park Trust is not only transforming the biodiversity value of its own land and developing a key reputation as a leading protector and developer of wildlife habitats, but it’s also working closely with multiple partners – such as The Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency – to share information, learnings, and funding. It’s ultimately all about achieving a greater impact on wildlife conservation and preservation through collaboration.

When asked what he enjoys most about his role, Chris responds: ‘It’s the influence I can have on the management of land for wildlife, not just within our own landholding, but beyond it as well. We work with partners, local parishes, and neighbouring landowners on a wider scale to improve habitats and increase biodiversity.’

The charity recognises its role in protecting the environment and is committed to managing the landscape and monitoring wildlife across the Park to ensure it remains a vital space for a multitude of different species. It’s all about habitat creation, conservation, but also improving the management of existing areas to make them even better for wildlife. As Chris says, it’s important to ‘give nature a helping hand.’

The conservation team regularly monitors and records numbers of butterflies, bumblebees, birds, and wildflowers; no stone is left unturned in the search for environmental improvements, and this focus is reaping rewards. The new relaxed mowing regimes combined with further wildflower seed sowing has seen butterfly species increasing in the Park: Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Ringlet are common, while Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks, Marbled White and the Brown Argus can also be spotted.

The successes keep coming. After an absence of 30 years, Sand Martins began nesting in Nene Park once again after artificial nesting boxes were installed on Lynch Lake. Soon all 81 nest box chambers were in use and the colony was at full capacity.

In 2018, another notable example of a successful conservation project was when two floodplain meadows were restored as part of the Bringing Nature Closer project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund through the Nenescape project. Three cross ditches were cleared to hold water all year around and a new 5km network of shallow ditches and scrapes was added to help keep water on the meadows for longer. This work has resulted in a huge increase in visiting wetland birds. Visitors can see the results with three accessible, elevated, viewing platforms that give panoramic views over the landscape. Bird sightings here include everything from Grey Herons, Teal, Wigeon, Snipe and Little, Great and Cattle Egrets.

Chris describes this project as his proudest achievement so far: ‘It started off as a grazing meadow that wasn’t in great condition and didn’t really provide a huge amount of wildlife habitat. Now the meadow sits wet through winter, and we’ve had some fantastic bird counts. Probably the standout for me is a Glossy Ibis, which is a pretty rare bird. We’ve now got species there that we’d previously not seen for many, many years.’

Projects in the pipeline
The results speak for themselves, and the conservation team has further projects underway to continue to improve the land and waterways for wildlife. One of the most recent projects – reedbed habitat creation – was started in 2024, using an existing mound of earth left over from the car park construction at Lakeside. Thanks to funding from Valencia Community Fund through the Landfill Communities Fund and from the Environment Agency Fisheries Improvement Programme, this pile of earth is being repurposed into a reedbed to improve habitats for fish as well as other amphibian, bird and invertebrate species. The project is in partnership with the Environment Agency and Peterborough and District Angling Association (P&DAA).

The aim is to create a large underwater soil bed in Gunwade Lake that will then be planted with common reed, which thrives in shallow water. Over time, the plants will establish themselves to create a large reedbed (currently a scarce habitat in the Park). The dense tangle of submerged reed stems and roots will provide a refuge and secure spawning site for small fish, keeping them safe from predators.

‘The project will benefit specialist birds too and the ultimate goal would be to get species like Bittern or various invertebrates utilising the reed bed,’ explains Chris. ‘The first phase of moving the soil has been completed, and contractors will then create the finer habitat features within it – including channels, pools, and variation. Then the reed rhizomes will be transferred from the existing fringe into the new footprint to establish over a few years.’

Alongside this, the team are creating a complementary bee bank and wildflower meadow, which has been kindly funded by Big Motoring World. After the conservation team noticed solitary bees and wasps burrowing into the original mound of earth, they decided to support these insects by retaining some of the earth and creating a purpose-built ‘Bee Bank’. The bare ground left behind after the original earth mound was moved into the lake was also sown with a traditional wildflower meadow mix that will support a range of bees, butterflies and other invertebrates.

The reedbed project is part of a wider push on fish habitat improvement work. This includes ongoing activities to hinge and pin growing trees along bank edges to create marginal habitats. The team has also made submerged habitats (filled with brash, hay and clay pipes) in the deeper areas of the lake to provide smaller fish with protection from predators. Continued floodplain meadow restoration work is taking place on The Rural Estate too, providing feeding areas and habitats for waders and wildfowl.

People and places
None of this conservation work could take place without the support of volunteers, who Chris describes as being ‘crucial for supporting habitat management across the entire estate.’ He says: ‘Giving access to nature is proven to be really good for people’s wellbeing. I think we’re supposed to be around nature rather than always sitting behind a desk. We’re not the only beings that live on this planet – we share it with a lot of other species, so it’s important we look after them.’Nene Park Trust aims to not only improve its own habitats but also teach others about the importance of conservation, through education efforts and providing visitors with easy access to nature. This has a large impact. In 2023 alone, nearly 6,000 children enjoyed environmental education and outdoor adventure activities in the Park.

Chris explains: ‘I genuinely can’t think of anyone who we shouldn’t be able to reach and engage with nature at Nene Park, which is pretty unique. The diversity of our visitors is incredible. We’re getting newborn babies right through to the very elderly – and everything in-between! We’re also proud to be incredibly accessible and able to welcome a wide range of disability groups to the Park too.’

So, next time you’re visiting Nene Park – bring your binoculars, take your time, and soak up the wonders of the wildlife you can see!

Corporate Conservation Days

Why not bring your team together to make a positive contribution to your local environment? Nene Park offers group sessions outside, where a staffmember will guide you through practical management tasks. No previous experience is required.

Choose from a morning or afternoon conservation session or make a day of it by combining your session with some natural craft activities in the community plant nursery. You could even combine conservation sessions with team building activities at Nene Outdoors Watersports & Activity Centre.

To find out more, email or take a look on the website.

Come along on a Wellbeing Wander in the Park

We all know how getting out in the fresh air, surrounded by nature, can boost our mood. But sometimes it can feel tough to find the motivation when you’re not sure where to go or when you’re not keen to walk on your own. Nene Park’s Wellbeing Wanders, which are held twice a month, could be perfect for you.

Suitable for ages 14+ and free to attend, these walks are led by the Visitor Rangers. It’s a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into the landscape around you, discover parts of the Park you are unfamiliar with, and meet like-minded people.

The next walks will be held on 18th September, 7th October, 23rd October, 4th November, 20th November, 2nd December and 18th December 2025. There’s no need to book, just come along! Discover more at www.nenepark.org.uk/events

Find out more at www.nenepark.org.uk