The Dawoodi Bohra community has partnered with Aire Rivers Trust, Bradford Council’s Countryside Service and Natural England to carry out a project at Bingley North Bog — a 10,000-year-old bog regarded as one of Bradford district’s most precious natural sites.
Funded entirely through Project Rise, the Dawoodi Bohra community’s global philanthropic initiative, the project will help protect the habitat, mitigate flood risk, increase biodiversity, and improve public access to the reserve. The restoration programme began in mid-September and will feature a dedicated team of local Bohra and Aire Rivers Trust volunteers working in collaboration with the council’s Countryside Service.
Initial work has already begun with the removal of invasive species and groundwork for new walking paths. Upcoming work will include:
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “It’s great to see that this project is progressing and a plan is in place for how it will move forward. The project will help Bingley North Bog continue to be a great natural asset and haven for nature. Thank you to the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community for their generous donation which has made this all possible.”
Located between the A650 and Five Rise Locks, Bingley North Bog is a remnant of a 10,000-year-old glacier, a peat bog and wetland that serves as a crucial habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. The area is a sanctuary for birds such as curlews, kingfishers, and herons, as well as insects like dragonflies and bats, and is a vital carbon store helping to combat climate change. This site is also one of eight included in the new Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve.
Members of the community came together with Aire Rivers Trust staff members and Anna Dixon, MP for Shipley, to 'officially start' the project.
