The Mersey Rivers Trust began construction of the Court Hey Park Wetland on 3rd March 2021 with contractors CCNW working on site between 3rd and 12th March 2021. The images below show the process of construction from beginning to reed-planting in December 2021. The initial construction in March 2021 was carried out in extremely wet conditions and the site was left to dry out until the final dressing and seeding could take place in April 2021.

Throughout the construction process we have had extremely positive feedback from the Park users, who complimented the contractors on the work daily. We posted information leaflets along the safety fencing, explaining what the project was, why it was being done and who funded it. Throughout the summer we allowed the site to settle and go through the important growing and breeding seasons. We have continued to get positive feedback from the public and the site has been used by Merseyside Biobank, who have carried out some ad-hoc surveys with volunteers. These quick studies have shown some good signs of colonisation with Birds such as Moorhen and Mallard moving in quickly, with Egret, Heron and Grey Wagtail also being observed. The wetland has built up a good invertebrate population in a short time, with a number of Beetle species, Mayfly, Damselfly and Dragonfly being observed.

Reed-planting was carried out in December 2021 in partnership with Knowsley Council, Friends of Court Hey Park, Merseyside Biobank and Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS). This task was carried out by 15 volunteers over 2 days, who planted 1500 reeds into the wetland.

A local Eco-Schools Group will be using the wetland as an educational resource this year and Merseyside Biobank will be using the site for volunteer training, which will help keep a detailed record of how the wetlands wildlife develops over time. The Wetland has become a valued asset within the park and the Friends group reported that park users spend more time in this area and are often walking around the wetland before heading into the park.