Blue Horizons – Expanding a Resilient Freshwater Network
Freshwater Habitats Trust’s Blue Horizons programme is an ambitious initiative with the overall aim of expanding the New Forest freshwater network. This programme is currently supported by the Government’s Species Survival Fund, and the EA’s Water Environment Improvement Fund.
Through Blue Horizons, we focus on three key areas: creating new habitats and restoring habitats around the edge of the New Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to allow species to populate and expand their range, and seeking opportunities to address nutrient run off and promoting sustainable water usage. We work closely with landowners to raise awareness of how changes to land management can both increase the natural capital value of a landholding and benefit the wider landscape.
As an evidence-led organisation, research is at the core of our work. Our current areas of research include assessing the impacts of dogs in ponds, in particular investigating the impacts of chemical flea treatments and physical disturbance from dogs on invertebrate communities and vegetation structure in ponds in the New Forest. Our Regional Programme Manager, Gemma Stride, is also currently undertaking a PhD with Bournemouth University on the impact of reducing sewage from combined sewage overflows (CSOs) on freshwater biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the New Forest. Research such as this is vital to informing our catchment-scale management recommendations and enables Freshwater Habitats Trust to act as leaders in freshwater conservation both locally and nationally.
If you’re interested in keeping up with our work, or if you’d like to learn more, please do follow us on social media (FHT New Forest) and sign up to receive Waternews, our Catchment Partnership newsletter.
Waternews – New Forest Catchment Partnership
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For enquiries, please contact info@freshwaterhabitats.org.uk.
