Cambridge Green Belt Project - City Greenways Project

Cambridge City Greenways Project

About the Project

The City Greenways Project began in 1998 principally funded by Cambridge City Council. The Projects helps to enhance the habitats within the city through practical management work with volunteers, advising landowners and liasing with City Council departments. The project focuses on the four identified Greenways and other County and City Wildlife Sites within the City. Greenways are corridors of wildlife habitat leading into the City that are designated on the City Local Plan. A Mid-week Volunteer Group has been set up that works on these sites, with other groups, to help improve access and wildlife value.

The Project encourages the public to discover and enjoy the wild areas and species within the City through guided walks, talks and practical work and participation in local surveys. This includes regular guided walks along the Greenways as well as Water Vole Training days, Dawn Chorus walks, Moth Trapping and Pond Dipping days. As well as focussing on the specific sites more citywide work is undertaken. A survey of Swifts, House Martins and Swallows has been completed, which, with partners, will be extended to the whole county in the future. The project, in conjunction with the Sustainable City Environment Centre, has also offered free nest boxes to members of the public and has worked with schools taking groups on guided walks and bug hunts.

Working in partnership with other groups is important to the Project and its success. The Project Officer works closely with the Community Liaison Officer at the City Council whose work concentrates on the City's Local Nature Reserves (LNRs). The Project is particularly able to offer support through the Mid-week Volunteer Group that runs on a Tuesday. However it is the Projects work outside of these sites along the Greenways that reinforce the conservation work in these core areas enhancing the overall biodiversity of the City.

The Aims of the City Greenways Project are:

To bring all County and City Wildlife Sites under favourable management
Involve volunteer work as much as possible
To inform the public of the value of the Greenways and other wildlife sites
Encourage the widespread knowledge of BAP species and other wildlife found within the city

The City Greenways Project and Cambridge Green Belt Project work closely together across the whole area to ensure the maximum impact of the work they achieve. There is overlap in the work completed, but by focusing on the two distinct areas allows both Projects to really concentrate on the features that make Cambridge and its Green Belt special.