Establishing wildlife corridors

Natural corridors such as those formed by waterways and landforms need to be protected from development in order to operate at their optimum.

The High Line, New York. Photo by Iwan Baan © 2009.

Where these have been disturbed by previous human development, options can be investigated to bring them back to their natural functioning. Examples include:

• creating functional floodplains
• re-opening culverted watercourses
• planting street trees
• devising innovative ways of crossing barriers such as motorways and roads.

At a city scale, the strategic network of habitats should be identified as part of a green infrastructure strategy or open space strategy. Where gaps exist opportunities should be explored to provide wildlife corridors or smaller scale, but functional, connections to support the health of local wildlife. Identified corridors and gaps in the network should inform the Local Development Framework evidence base.

At a neighbourhood or site scale, green bridges are one way of crossing big roads and already exist in Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Greece.

Man-made linear features such as roads, railways and canals can also act as corridors for wildlife, especially when these have a north-south orientation. For example, according to Butterfly Conservation Warwickshire, the Essex Skipper has taken advantage of motorways and dual carriageway roads to expand its range in Warwickshire. The maintenance and management of these linear features can reflect this role through suitable planting and less intensive management of verges and hedges.

The TCPA guidance Biodiversity by Design provides a very useful guide to the design and protection of wildlife corridors under the heading of greenways. The example of Warrington New Town which pioneered the design of ecological corridors as part of development is explored as part of this guidance.
 

Photo by CZWG

Mile End Park

Mile End Park in Tower Hamlets, London, is the first example of a green bridge in the UK. A 25 metre wide span of landscaped parkland across five lanes of road unites two parts of the park. It carries mature birch trees and evergreens, smaller plants and grass as well as a cycle track and footpath.

Neighbourhood scale masterplans offer a particularly good opportunities to consider innovative solutions for linking habitats.

Priority: help wildlife adapt to climate change
Tags: green infrastructure, neighbourhoods