A PROJECT to restore and maintain brooks in Hereford is going from strength to strength.

Richard Fishbourne from Bugs and Beasties leads the project to manage Yazor, Eign and Widemarsh brooks.

He said they are working in partnership with Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and have received funding to install an additional five interpretation panels along the brook through Hereford.

Richard is going into schools to work on practical projects that involve the children in the design of the signs, making habitat boxes, brook clearance and planting.

He added: "For the first time in their history, with our support, Whitecross Hereford High School now have an afterschool nature club focusing on the Yazor brook as it flows past the school."

The project has also trained volunteers so the brook's health can be constantly monitored by taking invertebrate samples and assessing the populations of fish and larger animals such as otters, heron and kingfishers.

A steering group has also been established which includes Herefordshire Council, Balfour Beatty, the Environment Agency, the Wye and Usk Foundation, Hereford Civic Society, Welsh Water as well as the brooks project.

Richard added: "Strategically we are working to safeguard the brooks' environment by assessing the impact of development and abstraction on flows.

"In 12 months time we should have a much clearer idea where the main compromising impacts lie through work being undertaken by the Environment Agency."

The recent duck race at Yazor brook saw visitors of all ages have a chance to look at the life in the brook and bet on which rubber duck would make it the finish line first.

The Hereford Community Clean-up Group has carried out a litter picks at the brook. They are running a litter pick on November 10 at Yazor Brook. Meet at The Range at 10am.