Volunteers needed to 'keep canals alive' - charity

A charity is calling on volunteers to protect wildlife like otters, ducks and water voles by helping to maintain the canal network.

Almost 1.2m people in Yorkshire live within a 10-minute walk of a waterway and could help nature by undertaking jobs like weeding and litter picks, said the Canal& River Trust.

There are 320 miles of canals in Yorkshire and the North East but recent bad weather has brought down hundreds of trees and sections of towpath have also been washed away, according to the organisation.

TV presenter Ranvir Singh, who is fronting the campaign, added: "We are calling on people to make a difference by volunteering to do something local towards a global priority."

The canals are a legacy of the Industrial Revolution, when they were used to transport goods, and date back 250 years. Their original function has since been replaced by leisure uses and they have become important wildlife habitats for species such as kingfisher and heron.

A Canal & River Trust spokesperson said: "Battered by storms and floods and eroded over time, our canals are in great need of support.

"With volunteers' support, donating their time, knowledge, and skills, we are better able to turn the tide and keep our canals available for local communities and for wildlife."

The charity is holding a series of volunteer welcome sessions and training from February across Yorkshire.

Ms Singh added: "These precious places, with their narrowboats and history, are at the heart of numerous communities, bringing nature and free-to-access green space to the doorsteps of millions.

"They connect cities and town to rural countryside, farmland and forests, giving wildlife a chance to expand from place to place and allowing flora and fauna to flourish in nature-depleted areas."

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