A NEW eco-friendly duck feeder has been installed in a Basildon park to enable visitors to feed ducks and swans in a sustainable way.

The Feed Ducks initiative has put a new bird feeder machine in Lake Meadows as they partner with Basildon Council.

The feeder is solar powered, made from 100% recycled plastics, and will heavily reduce plastic waste by dispending the food directly into hands

It will also give out healthy feed to prevent visitors from feeding birds bread.

Jeff Henry, councillor responsible for health, wellbeing, leisure, arts, and culture at Basildon Council, said this is a really exciting addition to their park.

He said: "This is a brilliant partnership with The Feed Ducks Initiative that will be a really exciting, environmentally friendly addition to one of our brilliant parks.

"It will reduce damaging bread feeding and overfeeding in public spaces, which will make a big impact on reducing the amount of foreign feed and rotting excess food that builds up in the park's lake and attracts vermin.

Feed from the machine will cost £1 for a small bag and £2.50 for a large bag with a donation from each purchase going towards improvement projects within parks across Basildon.

This is the first feeder in the Basildon borough, and it has been installed by the council on an existing plinth surrounding the park's lake near its main entrance, adjacent to the café.

Each unit also has a QR code that links to a website that provides facts about the park's habitat and conservation, with residents being able to scan the code to add in facts about the park for fellow residents to enjoy.

Councillor Jeff Henry added more feeders across the borough may follow if this proves a success.

He said: "We are installing one in Lake Meadows first as it’s got high footfall around the lake and a suitable location to install the feeder.

“But it if proves popular, then we're certainly looking to install more of these in our parks across the borough.”

To find out more about the initiative, visit: www.feedducks.com

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