The first “floating ecosystem” in York has been launched on the river Ouse in an attempt to create a habitat for wildlife and improve the quality of water within the city.

The project has been led by charities St Nicks and York Cares with financial backing provided by insurance firm Aviva who have one of their major offices located on Wellington Row.

Shelley Kernaghan from Aviva told YorkMix that Aviva are “happy to help fund as we regularly support charities and projects within our local communities” and with the new project being just outside their offices “it’s hoped our colleagues, and the wider community will be able to enjoy seeing the wildlife that is attracted to the ecosystem for years to come.”

Shaped like a pontoon and attached to the city’s North Street Gardens river wall, it is hoped that the structure will provide a suitable habitat for many species of small mammals.

St Nicks’ Jonathan Dent stated that it’s an “amazing project to inject some life back into the water in the city of York” and that the project is a “culmination of months of planning and hard work from many York organisations”.

Scottish firm Biomatrix designed the structure, which stands at 54ft (16.5m) by 7.5ft (2.3m) is home to between 20 and 30 different plant species all capable of providing an ecosystem for small animals and there are hopes it will be a feeding ground for birds and fish alike.

There is also hopes that pollinators such as bees and wasps will be attracted to the large amount of plants on the barge and this in turn will help keep species of the winged insects alive for long duration, particularly with dwindling numbers nationwide.

Ellen Spurge, from Biomatrix, said that they were “thrilled” to be involved with the project and that the “island bring amenity to the local people and one of the best elements of any project installation is being able to see the delight on the volunteer’s faces when they help to assemble and plant the islands, making a sustainable platform for future generations of York to build upon.”

The floating structure is made of fully recycled, non-toxic materials and must be kept litter free and in line with the planning permission granted by City of York Council.