Published 19th Nov 2022, 11:45 BST

The 15,000-acre Mulgrave Estate has transformed some of its working farmland into wetland habitats in order to create a brighter and safer future for wetland birds, dragonflies, damselflies, amphibians and invertebrates such as diving beetles, backswimmers and pond skaters.

The estate has built brand-new and inter-connected conservation ponds at Lythe and Goldsborough, near Whitby.

This project has been supported by the North York Moors National Park Authority as part of its role to deliver Landscape and Ecology projects to offset the impacts of the Anglo American Woodsmith Mine development which is taking place at Sneaton within the National Park.

Mulgrave Estate has created a series of wetlands across its land to encourage more wildlife such as birds, dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, backswimmers and pond skaters.

It also comes in the wake of the influential report by Sir John Lawton, which criticised England’s wildlife sites and ecology policy for not promoting a coherent, joined-up and resilient ecological network.

John Beech, Assistant Rural Surveyor with the estate, explained: “This is an extremely significant project for us, which is very close to our hearts. With the generous support of the North York Moors National Park Authority, we have been able to create brand-new ponds, which are linked to each other by wildlife corridors.

“Over the past two years, we have built 11 new ponds in the Lythe and Goldsborough area of the estate, which have transformed, and are transforming, the ecological balance there. It is magnificent to see.

“There is generally a lack of open freshwater sites across the estate, which has made it very difficult for wetland birds and other wetland species to flourish. The ponds we have created are used as breeding sites for amphibians and, as such, are having a major influence on populations in the area. That has had a knock-on effect on the whole character of the estate, which we needed to address.

“Healthy, high-quality wetlands store carbon and slow the flow of water, cleaning it naturally and reducing flood risk downstream. They support an abundance of plant life, which in turn provide perfect shelter, nurseries and breeding grounds for all kinds of wildlife.

“At the Mulgrave Estate, we believe very strongly that we are the guardians of our land, which is a crucial responsibility. It is vitally important that we create a sustainable environment for every single species of wildlife here.

"This wetlands project has done exactly that, demonstrating that nature is a wonderful friend when you let her be.”

The Mulgrave Estate is six years into a ten year programme that was drawn up to modernise and refresh the estate’s property and practices. This includes a vision to create a self sustainable estate for business and people and retain Lythe’s identity and community and to bring more farmland under the estate’s control for arable farming with a key focus on conservation and stewardship.

The estate has said that it wants to create environmental habitats that are of size equivalent to 160 Premier League Football pitches.

North Yorkshire estate creates £20,000 worth of wetland areas on its farms to diversify wildlife habitats