Wildlife Ways: Supporting Communities and Nature Along the Ouse Burn
17th December 2025
We are proud to support Wildlife Ways, a three-year, community-led project helping people and nature thrive together along the Ouse Burn in Newcastle.
- Funding a new Ouse Burn Ecologist to support community-led action and nature recovery
- Improving around 30 places and spaces along the Ouse Burn Way through practical environmental enhancements
- Building a lasting legacy by equipping communities with skills, data and confidence to care for their local environment
Led by the Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN), the project focuses on protecting and enhancing wildlife while empowering local communities to care for, enjoy and improve this important urban green corridor.
A key part of the Foundation’s support is funding a new Ouse Burn Ecologist. This highly visible role will work directly with residents, community groups and businesses to provide ecological advice, support surveys and help deliver practical improvements on the ground.
Anne Reece, Chair of the Reece Foundation, said:
“The Ouse Burn Way is such a special part of our local environment, and we are very pleased to support its future by funding an Ouse Burn Ecologist. This important role will engage communities, protect wildlife and help nature thrive along this vital corridor.”
Working alongside NHSN’s Urban Naturalist, Ellie Davison, the Ecologist will help nurture local enthusiasm for nature and support community-led improvements such as tree and bulb planting, wildlife habitats and litter picking.
Ellie Davison said: “This exciting project puts communities at the heart of caring for the Ouse Burn. It’s about shared action, local pride, and creating lasting benefits for people and wildlife for years to come.”
Over the three-year programme, Wildlife Ways will engage dozens of community groups and local businesses, support hundreds of volunteers, and leave communities better equipped to care for the Ouse Burn Way long into the future.
The Ouse Burn Way is a seven-mile urban wildlife corridor running from the mouth of the Ouseburn to Weetslade Country Park. It connects communities and habitats across Newcastle, creating a thriving landscape for wildlife and people alike. The vision goes beyond ecology, also improving water quality, supporting mental wellbeing, and helping communities reconnect with the natural world.
The Reece Foundation’s £1 million Ouse Burn Way Fund supports local projects that make this vision a reality, investing in sustainable, community-led nature restoration across the North East.
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