A conservation charity is supporting farmers as they work to protect the Eden river catchment.
Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) has spent three decades working alongside farmers to improve soil health, water quality and biodiversity across the area.
Anna Holliday, the trust's Farming and Conservations Officer, said: "It is a privilege to be able to help our farmers and landowners to navigate the maze of Government funding and environmental schemes and to consult with them on project design and implementation.
"Their ambition, the support of our funding partners and ERT’s local knowledge and expertise means that together, we are able to develop and deliver planting solutions that benefit farm businesses as well as providing big wins for the catchments habitat diversity and resilience to extreme weather events."
In the last three years, ERT's Woodlands for Water project, funded by Defra, has been supporting farmers and landowners to develop and deliver bids to the Forestry Commission’s England Woodland Creation Offer.
The scheme has supported the creation of 31.5 hectares of new riparian woodland across 13 sites, with the planting focused on areas near rivers with the aim of improving habitat and water quality.
In April this year, ERT began working with Raise Cumbria Community Forest on a new scheme to deliver an additional 20 hectares of woodland this year.
Six project areas will see a mix of woodland creation and agroforestry methods, including in-field wooden tree cages, river buffers along designated watercourses, and kested hedgerows planted on small embankments.
These techniques are designed to improve water quality by filtering surface runoff, slow water flow by increasing vegetation roughness, and connect vital wildlife habitats.
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The plantings are also expected to improve soil health, provide shade and shelter for livestock, and create opportunities to diversify farm businesses.
ERT believes the long-standing collaboration between farmers, landowners and conservationists is key to the success of the Eden catchment.
An ERT spokesperson said: "Thanks to the power of partnerships and a collective ambition to care for the Eden river catchment, its water and soils, its biodiversity and resilience to droughts and downpours, we can all enjoy a greener Eden."
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