Wildlife trust seeks to create new reserve

A wildlife trust is looking to transform one of Lincolnshire's largest remaining grassland habitats into a nature reserve.

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is aiming to raise £1.4m needed to buy the land near Hawthorpe in order to create a thriving reserve for wildlife, wildflowers and wetland species.

It said the 215-acre (87 hectares) site was located in one of the region's most nature-depleted landscapes, and its purchase would safeguard its future as a nature reserve.

The trust's chief executive Paul Learoyd described the spot as a "hidden gem".

The trust was recently awarded a £1m grant from waste firm Biffa, which Learoyd said was "a major step forward" in reaching the £1.4m fundraising total.

He said the fundraising campaign had been one of the most successful to date, adding that he was hopeful "it was really going to happen".

Learoyd said the site, which was not currently open to the public, was "quite unique" for Lincolnshire as it not been actively farmed for more than 40 years, meaning it already supported a wide range of species.

The site was important both to local people and more widely, he said, adding the trust recognised the need to protect it in the long-term.

"This is an area where we don't have many larger nature reserves and hopefully it will become a really great place for people to visit," he said.

Rachel Maidment, Biffa's grants manager, said the scheme would deliver "huge benefits" for nature, climate resilience and local communities.

"This is exactly the kind of transformational project our funding is designed to make possible," she added.

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