Restoring the River Dun

In March 2019 we returned to Bearwater in Hungerford to restore a stretch of the River Dun, uptream of our previous project here. We also carried out habitat improvement to a channel leading into the lake and removed Himalayan balsam (a non-native invasive species of plant) from this channel.

The riverbank was badly eroded and collapsing. Our Project Officer led five days of community volunteering tasks to restore and plant up the riverbank. Thousand of native marginal plants have quickly established, sending out a strong root sytem to hold the bank together and return the river to a more natural corridor for wildlife.Volunteers involved were a mix of our regular ARK volunteers, a corporate team from AB Vista, staff and residents from Bearwater Retirement Estate; and Hungerford residents. 

 Before: faggots installed, ready for brushwood backfilling and planting    After: July 2019

 Before: riverbank in a poor state                During: revetment created                         After: October 2019 plants establishing

 Our volunteers moved tonnes of donated locally sourced chalk        Hazel faggots made, moved and used by our volunteers