Creating new reserves and habitats
The Trust works both to protect existing wildlife habitats and to re-create lost habitats. We also work with and encourage other landowners to do the same.
A nature reserve is the ultimate protection for wildlife. And bigger or ‘joined up’ nature reserves are best of all – because small isolated populations of scarce wildlife are more vulnerable to extinction. So we try to enlarge or join together our existing nature reserves wherever possible.
We also work with our landowning neighbours wherever possible to help and encourage them to re-create wildlife habitats on their land, rather than us having to purchase the land.
Where we have the opportunity to buy land we raise the funds, not just for the purchase costs, but also for the costs of restoring it to its former glory as a wildlife habitat and making it a great place for local people to visit to appreciate wildlife. Local people, local businesses and our existing supporters are among the people who have supported us to create new reserves or enlarge existing ones in recent years.
Our Reserves Acquisition Strategy helps us to focus our efforts and resources on where they will have most benefit for wildlife. The areas where we are currently most concerned to buy land, re-create lost habitats and work with others to do this are:
- Fenland – in Cambridgeshire
- Chalk grassland – in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire
- Limestone grassland – in Northamptonshire
- Boulder clay woodlands – in all three counties
- Heathlands – in all three counties
- Flood plains – in all three counties