Rewilding project plan as trust purchases moorland

A wildlife trust has announced plans for a rewilding project after purchasing 135 acres (54 hectares) of moorland in Derbyshire.

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust purchased Middleton Moor, near Wirksworth, after receiving a Biffa Award grant of more than £825,000 and £182,000 in public donations following an appeal.

The trust bought the site for £820,000 and said it will use the remaining money to "support an ambitious, landscape-scale restoration project to rewild the moor, reconnect habitats, and unlock its full potential for nature's recovery".

The project will also help link several surrounding wild spaces, creating a wildlife corridor spanning more than 1,000 acres (404 hectares), the trust added.

The trust said more than 2,300 people donated to help purchase Middleton Moor from private ownership.

Dave Savage, head of landscape recovery for the north at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said: "We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has given, shared, and championed this appeal.

"It's thanks to the collective strength of our supporters and the support of Biffa Award that we have reached this pivotal moment."

The Biffa Award is a multi-million-pound fund awarded to communities and environmental projects across England and Northern Ireland as part of the government's Landfill Communities Fund.

Savage said the funds will help create "wildlife-rich habitats", including wildflower meadows alive with bees, butterflies and moths, grasslands for birds, and scrubland and woodland areas to provide homes for butterflies and tawny owls.

"Securing Middleton Moor represents far more than land acquisition," Savage added.

"It is a long-term commitment to restoring nature, reconnecting people with the places they live, and demonstrating that nature's recovery is possible at the scale and pace required.

"This is what community-powered nature recovery looks like, and we can't thank everyone enough for making it possible."

Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award grants manager, said: "Biffa Award is extremely proud to support Derbyshire Wildlife Trust in securing Middleton Moor.

"Protecting and restoring the wildlife-rich land will deliver huge benefits for nature, climate resilience and local communities for generations to come."

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