Latest news with #RAINProject
BBC News
28-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Northamptonshire primary school planters aim to tackle flooding
Flower and vegetable planters installed to teach pupils about biodiversity while also helping to tackle flooding have been hailed a 32 specialist planters at seven primary schools in Northamptonshire are designed to help reduce surface water flooding. They include "integrated wildlife habitats" and take water directly from school guttering, reducing pressure on drainage systems, organisers said. "It's been fantastic to work with so many schools who were so enthusiastic to get on board and bring these smart planters into their play areas," support officer Rickileigh Edwards said. "The beauty of these units is that they combine practical flood management with an opportunity to inspire learning about water, nature and climate resilience," he and Innovation Northants (RAIN) Project, which led the scheme, said each stainless steel planter contained 10 wildlife habitats, from bee hotels and hedgehog houses to amphibian refuges and hoverfly planters at Oakley Vale Primary School in Corby were fitted with monitoring equipment to allow children and the RAIN team to track rainfall and water capture over time, while the planters were used to grow flowers, tomatoes, herbs and are also at five schools around Northampton and Brigstock Latham Primary near Kettering. The RAIN Project is funded by Defra as part of the £200m flood and coastal resilience innovation programme, managed by the Environment Agency. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Tree planting begins to protect Wootton flood-prone areas
More than an acre of woodland is to be planted across two flood-prone areas as part of an initiative to boost flood and schools in Wootton and Sudborough, Northamptonshire, have been invited to take part in three tree-planting sessions to assist natural flood sessions are hosted by Resilience and Innovation Northants (RAIN), in partnership with Woodland Dwelling, to coincide with West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) Tree and Woods Horsey, from Woodland Dwelling, said the project "allows people to come together". "There's a lot of new housing going in around here, and that water's got to go somewhere so that water runs off into the drains, overflows and is overflowing into the brook," he said."What we are doing is putting in large standard trees and some hedging; a large mature tree can take up hundreds of litres of water a day."There's lots of people in the community that want to help; they want to do their bit." The council's tree strategy aims to increase the county's canopy cover - the layer of leaves, branches, and tree stems that cover the ground – from 9% to 20%."We were lucky enough to win a tender about 18 months ago to work with WNC on their tree strategy and the RAIN project has brought some of the funding to be able to do that," Mr Horsey said. 'New, innovative ways' To celebrate the launch of the strategy, two planting events have taken place in the grounds of Caroline Chisholm School and in Wooldale Road Open Space, Wootton, with support from the local community.A final tree-planting event will take place at Brookfield Bungalow in Sudborough on 7 March at 10:00 are areas which have previously been badly affected by which is led by WNC in partnership with North Northamptonshire Council, is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as part of the £200m Flood and Coastal Innovation Parr, from the RAIN Project, said the initiative was created because "flooding is getting worse"."The weather's changing, and the government understood that they needed to look at new ways, innovative ways of dealing with this issue," she said. "We're working in the Wootton catchment and the Harpers Brook catchment to try and help those who have experience flooding." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
