Wicken Fen was bought by the National Trust in 1901

Conservationists are hoping to raise more than �100,000 to aid the expansion of Wicken Fen, near Burwell, on the Cambridgeshire and Suffolk border.

Wicken Fen was the first nature reserve to be acquired by the National Trust when two acres were purchased in 1901.

Since then it has expanded to incorporate 1,350 acres of wetland, while surrounding areas have been drained to make way for farming.

On 5 November, the National Trust is starting a new campaign to ask members of the public to donate money to the Wicken Fen Appeal.

The fen has expanded to incorporate 1,350 acres of wetland

Katy Evans, regional communications officer for the National Trust, said: "The appeal is vital for Wicken Fen and the surrounding area.

"With the area around Cambridge growing with an increase in population, there is more and more reason to protect fenland areas.

"Over 99.9% of the fenland that once covered East Anglia has now been drained, resulting in the loss of countless plant and animal species.

"Wicken Fen provides a vital habitat for endangered species such as the bittern, the emperor butterfly and the otter.

"But Wicken Fen is still incredibly vulnerable.

"It is completely surrounded by intensively farmed fields, which means that the nutrients and water required to sustain the fen are gradually draining away.

"The only way that we can secure it's future is to make it bigger."