Tottle Brook Nottingham | Wetland Habitat and Biodiversity Enhancement

Dobson UK, a leading landscaping, grounds maintenance and amenity service provider, was appointed to deliver the works. For the ecological and planting elements, Dobson UK partnered with John Chambers Wildflower Seed, part of Green-tech, to provide specialist advice and supply essential materials.

Key components supplied by John Chambers included:

• 120 metres of pre-established Coir Log Rolls to direct flow and prevent erosion along the watercourse banks. Coir logs are a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution for stabilising watercourse edges. They were supplied with UK-native plant species pre-established, though they can also be provided unplanted.
• RiverMats, biodegradable sediment entrapment mats designed to lie flat on the bed of natural and artificial channels. These mats trap sediment downstream of disturbed areas without altering water flow, preventing damage to vegetation, insects, fish and infrastructure.
• Tree planting sundries to support riparian planting.
• 14kg of John Chambers Heritage Wet and Damp Soils Wildflower Seed Mix, sufficient to cover approximately 3,000m². This mix from the Heritage Range maintains the original recipes created by John Chambers, ensuring exceptional germination and high-quality, hand-cleaned, uncontaminated seed. A certificate of authenticity detailing species, origin and mixture was provided.

The wetland seed mix was carefully selected for suitability to damp soils and wetland conditions, contributing to both visual appeal and ecological function by establishing a resilient wildflower habitat.

The main landscaping work at Tottle Brook was completed by the end of December 2019, with follow-up maintenance and additional landscaping scheduled for 2020. The interventions successfully enhanced the biodiversity of the Brook, improved its form, and created new habitats that support wildlife.

Lauren Dobson, Business Development Manager for Dobson UK, commented:

“With access being an issue on this project, especially with the added difficulty of the extremely wet weather, the Green-tech and John Chambers Wildflower Seed team worked with us to overcome this. We were very happy, as always, with the quality of product and the service provided. Towards the end of the project we spotted a Little Egret which had not been seen in the area for a long time so we’re delighted that the project is proving fruitful already.”

The project demonstrates how careful product selection and ecological planning can transform urban watercourses into thriving wetland habitats, delivering both functional water management and biodiversity benefits.