91Èȱ¬

Catton Park, on the outskirts of Norwich, was selected for a visit from 91Èȱ¬ Norfolk's Springwatch Action Team, the SWAT squad.

Their mission: to help restore a Victorian pond, encourage wildlife and create a quiet and enjoyable habitat for local people, just a few miles from Norwich's busy city centre.

The Norfolk SWAT team was made up of British Trust For Conservation Volunteers (BTCV), the Catton Park Trust, the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership and 91Èȱ¬ Norfolk.

Throughout the weekend of Saturday, 7 and Sunday, 8 June, the Norfolk team worked on the site to help encourage its biodiversity and public access.

Catton Park

Catton Park is in Oak Lane, north of Norwich city centre and dates back to the 18th century.

Originally constructed for the pleasure of the owners of Catton Hall, it's now protected by the Catton Park Trust and the Friends Of Catton Park so the public can enjoy the grounds and the wildlife.

Victorian pond at Catton Park

The Victorian pond, on the western edge of the park near to the St Faiths road entrance, has been ignored over a number of years, but thanks to a visit from SWAT, that's all changed.

"If we improve the water quality, by reducing the shading, use barley straw bales and introduce a range of native aquatic plants, we hope that the pond will become a more suitable habitat for wildlife," said Scott Perkins, co-ordinator the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership.

"It's really important to conserve species and habitats which enrich our lives and biodiversity can have an indirect valuable impact on weather, soil, climate and pollution control," he added.

Catton Park makeover

Over four days, Norfolk SWAT cleared the site to construct fencing and a hoggin path around the pond to encourage public access.

The project aims to give local people and Norfolk's wider community the opportunity to enjoy and learn about the nature we have on our doorstep.