What’s new?
9 April 2008
Generous gift of a wildflower meadow
Local farmer donates a piece of land to the Trust
Retired farmer, Mr Eric Standen of Yarwell near Oundle, a lifelong supporter of the local Wildlife Trust, has donated a meadow to the Trust to be restored and preserved to benefit wildlife and people.
The Wildlife Trust is preparing the new nature reserve with a generous grant of £4,800 from the River Nene Regional Park (RNRP).
Standen’s Pasture, as it is now known, is a key location for the Trust, lying between two important nature reserves. It is adjacent to Wansford Pasture Site of Special Scientific Interest, a species-rich remnant of limestone grassland, and only two fields away from Old Sulehay Nature Reserve, a fragment of the ancient Rockingham Forest and one of the Trust’s largest reserves in Northamptonshire. This puts Standen’s Pasture in a strategic location for one of the Trust’s key objectives to expand and link reserves. These large area reserves will provide lots of linked habitats for species to move within and adapt to forthcoming changes in climate.
Historically, the meadow was used to grow arable crops like wheat, and was recently grazed by horses and cattle. Species-rich neutral grassland like this is a rare habitat in Northamptonshire and across in the UK. With careful management and monitoring by Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers, the pasture can be restored to benefit many species, such as bladder campion; common spotted orchid; invertebrates, such as dragonflies; and birds, such as warblers.
As the site is now officially a Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, visitors will be able to explore it for the first time. Four local volunteers have already started improvements, and the Trust is keen for more people to help care for the reserve. Thanks to the RNRP grant, volunteers will be given training and protective equipment and will develop skills and experience in conservation management. A new welcome board will be also be designed and installed to welcome visitors.