A PROJECT to encourage people to safeguard local wildflowers was launched yesterday.

The Wildlife Ark Tees Valley Education Project is the latest in a series of projects to promote the importance of wild flowers in the North-East.

The year-long project, based at Nature's World, at Acklam, near Middlesbrough, aims to produce an education and training programme for both schools and trainees.

A horticultural area will be established at the centre to allow people on the New Deal, special needs work placements and primary school children to study and be trained in wildflower propagation.

The area will also be used to produce plants of local genetic stock for use in conservation and landscaping projects ensuring the local character of wildflowers is conserved.

The project will also involve the public in locating open spaces of wildflower conservation value.

Project coordinator Helen Herring said: "We are keen to hear from members of the public who know of wildflowers in local urban or suburban areas they feel are important to their local area.

"Sites to look for are ponds, hedge bottoms, grasslands, old walls, beck valleys, streams and ditches.

"We will then be able to investigate those sites, record the wildflowers present and provide advice to landowners on how they could manage the site in the future."

The project is funded by £20,000 from Northumbrian Water Environmental Trust, with support from Groundwork Middlesbrough and New Deal for the Communities.

At yesterday's launch, pupils from Newham Bridge Primary School, in Middlesbrough, hunted for the rare Grass Vetchling at the Nature's World meadow, its only natural site in the area.

Anyone wishing to highlight areas of wildlife conservation value can call Ms Herring on (01642) 594895.