North-East environmental charity helps restore lost habitats along River Tees

Tees Rivers Trust – a not-for-profit environmental charity based in the North East – has planted a trial seagrass meadow in the Tees estuary.

In 2022, the Tees River Trust created a seagrass nursery to restore lost seagrass meadows on the River Tees and is the only one of its kind in the North East of England.

In 2023, the nursery successfully grew its first seagrass plants that produced their own seed pods and in 2024 so far, the Trust has managed to achieve one of the highest rates of germination in the UK.

Tees River Trust chief executive Ben Lamb said: “These are exciting times for the Tees and the level of interest and engagement we are getting in all of our work clearly demonstrates that people are rightly proud of their river and want to see it improve.”

Planting took place earlier this month at Seaton Snook, in Seaton Carew, with help from staff and volunteers from Teesmouth Nature Reserve and volunteers from the Tees Rivers Trust.

More planting took place at the nursery just days later to create a seedbank for future restoration.

This seagrass project is part of a larger programme that will see the Trust restoring intertidal mudflats along the River Tees and installing two new native oyster nurseries around Hartlepool.

The Tees River Trust also plans to install an in-shore native oyster reef in the future.