24/2/2006 - County Council backs healthcheck for Cumbria's tarns

Cumbria County Council is supporting a unique environmental survey which is to be carried out by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.  The county council’s Sustainability Team recently granted the Trust £4,950 towards their Cumbria Tarns Project.

The Trust will carry out a survey of Cumbria’s freshwater tarns assessing the flora and fauna that inhabit these waters.  Tarns and other small water bodies provide a unique habitat for many species and the survey will help identify changes in these important habitats since the last data was collected in the 1970’s.

Neil Harnott from Cumbria Biodiversity Partnership is helping to launch the project. He said: “Many people know Cumbria because of its lakes yet there are many more tarns than lakes.  Cumbria is one of the most important counties in England for small water bodies like these.  The tarns are so common that it is easy to take them for granted and they receive less attention than other freshwater features like lakes and rivers.  Tarns are a living legacy of how our landscape has evolved and a vital store of biodiversity, providing habitats for a wide range of plants and animals, from microscopic forms to fish and birds.  The Tarns Project will provide important information for the future conservation and protection of these wildlife habitats

Surveying will begin in April 2006 and run through until October.  The Trust hopes to secure further funding and extend the survey period into 2007.

Much of the surveying will be undertaken by volunteers who will receive training.  As surveying skills are developed amongst the volunteers its is hoped that they will be able to contribute to other projects being run by the Trust helping to conserve more of Cumbria’s unique natural environment for future generations to enjoy.