A team of solicitors has swapped their suits for wellies to create vital wetland habitat at a Nidderdale nature reserve, and nature wasted no time moving in.
Staff from the Leeds office of national law firm Mills & Reeve spent a day at the Make It Wild nature reserve in Smelthouses, digging two wildlife ponds at the edge of a gently flowing stream.
After hours of shifting heavy clay soil and rocks, the team’s hard work paid off in spectacular fashion. Within minutes of the first pond beginning to fill with water, a frog had already taken up residence, much to everyone’s delight.
Helen Neave, co-founder and director at Make it Wild, said:
It was fantastic to have the team from Mills & Reeve here today. Their commitment and energy really paid off in supporting wildlife in the area in a very immediate way. We were telling the group that in a few weeks, nature would be making its way into this space they’d created. But within 10 minutes of the first pond filling up, a frog had already moved in!
The new ponds, nestled beside the stream, will create much-needed wetland habitat as they gradually fill with aquatic plants. The combination of still water blending with the moving stream provides perfect conditions for amphibians, invertebrates and other wildlife.
Paul Johnson, partner and head of Leeds office at Mills & Reeve, said:
We had a fantastic day of conservation work with the Make It Wild team, and seeing a frog enter the pond within minutes of it filling made the 5am start all the more worthwhile!
Our team of volunteers left with muddy boots, aching muscles and huge smiles, knowing we’d created something that will make a real difference to local wildlife. With nearly three quarters of all wildlife lost since 1970, we’re committed to taking meaningful action right here in Yorkshire and making a tangible impact in supporting nature’s recovery.
Make It Wild is a multi-award winning organisation that helps businesses support the planet through rewilding and habitat creation across Yorkshire and beyond. Mills & Reeve is working with the organisation on a number of projects across North Yorkshire, including funding an invertebrate survey and sponsoring a beehive, as part of the firm’s ‘Achieving more for nature’s recovery’ initiative.
