Businesses mobilize to tackle environmental issues

Businesses in the Peterlee industrial estates are invited to support the Wapping Burn cleanup.

The regional organization Wear Rivers Trust (WRT) is now working with businesses, volunteers and partners to improve the body of water that drains from industrial areas from the northwest to the southwest.

WRT engages with businesses in the East Durham Business Network to educate them about their potential impact on the water quality of the three tributaries that feed Castle Eden Dene.

Paul Atkinson of WRT said: “We develop volunteer opportunities through corporate responsibility activities. There are a lot of activities that we have to do like collecting litter, thinning trees, repairing banks, improving waterways and removing invasive plant species. We also help reduce the environmental impact of businesses, in particular commercial discharges, disconnections and plastic pollution.

“Together, we will create a better, wildlife-friendly environment for businesses and their employees. We will improve business awareness of opportunities for nature restoration and flood risk reduction. This project will see WRT working alongside Durham Wildlife Trust (DWT) and their Naturally Native Project (NNP) with the long-term goal of helping water voles recolonize the area.

We are returning to continue the upper canal restoration work we started in 2018 along the length of Wapping Burn. We also design water retention and wetland features to intercept road runoff and reduce the risk of flooding to local properties.

“We need volunteers to get our feet wet and spot improvements in the river, helping with river fly monitoring in the three tributaries. “