CONSERVATION volunteers have been busy getting their hands dirty to improve an area alongside a river in York and make it safer for people to walk along.

Volunteers from York TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) turned their hands to hedge-laying at an area near the Blue Bridge in Fishergate.

Jo Brehaut, senior project officer at TCV York, said Fishergate councillor Andy D’Agorne and a local resident identified that shrubs in the area were sparse in places, potentially allowing people to wander close to a steep drop to the River Foss.

She said City of York Council asked TCV to help, so volunteers spent three days laying native shrubs and small trees along the edge of the footpath, to create a dense living fence which will prevent people accidentally accessing the river edge.

The hedge will also grow to create improved habitat for nesting birds and other wildlife, Jo added.

The work was funded by the Fishergate Ward Committee and will be an important addition to riverside safety in York.

TCV’s Mid-week Group carries out practical conservation tasks in York and the surrounding countryside every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday throughout the year. This year volunteers have laid footpaths, built boardwalks, replaced footbridges, planted wildflowers and trees, built community gardens and lots more.

Everyone is welcome to volunteer with TCV to learn new skills while making friends and helping to improve green spaces for people and the environment.

For further information on volunteering with TCV or if you know of a conservation project that needs some practical help, phone TCV on 01904 414927 or email york@tcv.org.uk.