LIVING HIGHWAYS PROJECT
The Living Highways Project ran between 2001 and 2008 and was set up as collaboration between a number of organizations to increase awareness of the issues associated with road verge habitats within the jurisdiction of Powys County Council (PCC). Since 2003 it has been spearheaded by Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust with a dedicated Living Highways Project Officer imbedded within PCC.
Road verge habitats are vital to biodiversity within the countryside because they contain some of the last remaining examples of species-rich habitats. These types of habitats support local and nationally important species such as the Dormouse and represent a simple opportunity for Powys to fulfil EU obligations. There are approximately 100 Road Verge Nature Reserves (RVNRs) and where possible, these are being monitored on an annual basis by a series of volunteers across all there Powys shires to ensure the designated management is effective.
The project was about more than RVNRs as it has always been involved with ground breaking ideas for road verge management (e.g. road verge harvesting trial 2004 - see 2006 report for more information) and we continued to spearhead projects outside the boundaries of traditional road verge management, such as:
The success of these projects means that the oft neglected resources that are road verges, retain their tremendous potential to both conserve and enhance biodiversity within Powys, and across Wales.
The end of the project in 2008 does not mean the end of the Living Highways concept, far from it. As a result of the Living Highways Project, the sympathetic management of Powys' road verges are part of Powys County Council's day-to-day work. The responsibility for RVNRs now falls entirely to Powys County Council and the contact is Emma Guy, Biodiversity Officer.
For the time being however, the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust will continue to work with RVNR survey volunteers, so if you are interested in getting involved by surveying an RVNR near you, then contact Tammy Stretton at the Trust office.
