Teesside Environmental Trust (TET) was incorporated in 1998 and registered with the Charity Commission. The aim was to develop a nature reserve of international importance on former industrial land on the north bank of the river Tees, centred on Saltholme Farm. Saltholme Farm sat alongside chemical and petroleum industry sites and the farm itself contained salt wells, providing brine as a raw material for the chemical industry. Salt was extracted from underground, and farming took place on the land above. The farm comprised 660 acres (267 HA) but had great potential as a site for nature conservation linked to the protected conservation sites in and around the nearby Tees estuary. The Teesside Environmental Trust Board was formed comprising elected council members, business representatives Trustees who had expertise in ecology and environmental science. In early 2000 HJ Banks and Co Ltd started of a line of financial support through Landfill Tax Credits, allocated from their waste management business. Successive companies continued the flow of funds and the current principal funders are Augean. Augean’s commitment and support have been critical to the achievements at Saltholme and the Trust and the Teesside community are indebted to them for their unstinting support. Essential to the successful development of the Saltholme Nature Reserve has been the involvement of the Royal Society for the protection of Birds (RSPB). At an early stage, we formed a partnership, and a 99-year lease was given to the RSPB, which brought to the project the strengths of an internationally recognised conservation organisation with vision, capacity, skills, and conservation knowledge. Together we have created a nature reserve to attract families as well as the more committed nature watchers.
