Shared Skylarks Nature Reserve success

Following the success of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Skylarks Nature Reserve Appeal over the last year or so we have finally purchased the land at Blott’s Pit (Holme Pierrepont) to enable us to create the largest nature reserve in Rushcliffe, now over 110 acres. The expanded Skylarks Reserve will be a haven for wildlife and the plans will make the site as accessible as possible. 

The support of our members and the local community has enabled us to safeguard a key piece of the county’s natural heritage and it is reassuring to know that with public backing we can move swiftly to take action to protect special places and the wildlife that relies upon them.  Besides £90k of public donations funding has come from the Environment Agency (£300k), Heritage Lottery (£607K) and Rushcliffe Borough Council (£14k) plus a range of other funders to form a million pound project.

Speaking about the HLF support Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust Chairman Valerie Holt said: “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund and others have chosen to support the purchase of land at Blotts Pit and the creation of the largest nature reserve in Rushcliffe. Our efforts to safeguard the future of this site were kick started by concern from members of the public over its future. In addition to securing the future of the land we hope that this project will act as a catalyst to link wildlife conservation, archaeology and volunteering, through providing opportunities for people across Rushcliffe and Nottingham City.”

On Saturday 27th of September NWT held a celebration event, attended by a range of local partners, funders and Dominic Heale of BBC East Midlands Today, to mark the completion of our purchase and the start of our extensive habitat enhancement and restoration programme on site. Work to create new shallow wetlands and improve the hedgerow habitats is now underway and we expect to re-open the transformed reserve next spring. In addition the funding will allow NWT to undertake Community Outreach work and support a community archaeology projects by Notts County Council archaeologists on the site over the next few years.