Two companies have teamed up with a wildlife charity to help an endangered species.

Native White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) numbers have fallen drastically since escaped North American Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) took to British waterways in the 70s. This non-native species can carry an infectious disease which white-claws have no resistance to. Staffordshire Wildlife Trust has spearheaded several projects to save White-clawed Crayfish over the years, relocating thousands of them to new sites, called ark sites, away from signal crayfish. This work enables new colonies of healthy White-clawed Crayfish to establish.

Ibstock PLC, who have bases in Cannock and Newcastle-under-Lyme, and their transport partner Bimson Haulage Ltd are gifting surplus perforated bricks for use by the Midland Crayfish Partnership. Once submerged in water the bricks create ‘crayfish reefs’ at various ark sites in Staffordshire. The crayfish use all the nooks and crannies of the bricks as resting spots during the day. The donated bricks are seconds which would otherwise be crushed. A win for nature and sustainability!