AN AMBITIOUS North East scheme aimed at restoring vital wetlands to help combat climate change has benefited from a financial donation – and some manpower.
The Great North Fen is a project currently being carried out by Durham Wildlife Trust aimed at bringing back the wetland environment to 60 hectares of land which has been lost over the years.
And now the scheme has had a helping hand from a group of employees from Lockheed Martin Space, after it was identified to receive their support from Lockheed’s recently appointed social values project co-ordinator, Jane Quan.
Lockheed Martin is involved in a range of projects in the North East, including partnering with Northumbria University on the creation of NESST – the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre.
As part of its commitment to the region and the company’s social values policy, it is now looking to actively engage with important environmental projects, particularly those which will have a meaningful impact.
Durham Wildlife Trust’s plans for the Great North Fen will see the recreation and recovery of wetland habitats which will help store carbon and encourage flora and fauna.
Lockheed Martin Space believed helping to preserve peatlands – a highly effective solution for storing carbon – would fit perfectly with their social value principles.
Along with giving 10 per cent of funding to deliver part of the restoration, a team – led Jane – spent the day at Ricknall Carrs near Sedgefield, helping to drive piling into the lowland peat to help slow down the flow of water and hold water nearer the surface, creating a natural habitat for wading birds.
Armed with giant mallets to knock in the piling, the group spent the day knee-deep in water and mud, managing to complete a barrier.
Jason Skirrow, Head of Service and Programme Delivery at Lockheed Martin Space UK was one of the group who took part on the day.
“The Lockheed Martin Space team is really pleased to be able to deliver on the Government’s social value initiative in a really impactful way by helping restore the peat bogs,” he said.
“These relic peat bogs in the Great North Fen act as a natural carbon sink to help fight climate change and reduce our impact to the environment.
“We had a great day in this environmentally important area and loved contributing our time and making a monetary investment to this vitally important project.”
Emily Routledge, Head of Development and Communications at Durham Wildlife Trust, thanked the Lockheed team for getting involved.
“The Great North Fen is an ambitious nature recovery project which is creating interconnected landscapes that will support a diverse range of ecologically important wildlife and combat climate change by sequestering carbon,” she said.
“The support received from Lockheed Martin Space UK is an important step in the next phase of restoration on the fen and it was great to host their team on site and see them get hands on with the practicalities of wetland creation.”