Somerset Wildlife Trust is asking for support as it launches its annual Nature Reserves Fund appeal.
First launched in 2016, this Fund enables the Trust to care for and maintain its nature reserves, which are some of Somerset’s most important sites for wildlife.
The Fund has raised over £160,000 since it was first established, and the Trust says that 100% of the money has been put towards the care and protection of the reserves.
The charity looks after a total of 68 nature reserves spread across Somerset, which include areas of ancient woodland, flower-rich meadows, and precious wetland.
These are habitats which have become increasingly rare in the wider countryside, filled with vulnerable species, including the once-extinct large blue butterfly and rare species such as the dormouse, bechstein’s bat, and great crested newt.
The reserves are exceptionally important in their own right, but they also play a vital role in Somerset’s Nature Recovery Network, acting as core, nature-rich sites from which wildlife can spread into the wider landscape.
Unfortunately, the cost of looking after these nature reserves rises every year. The Trust estimates that it is currently costing £2,600 a day to maintain them — and this is even with the help of many committed and skilled volunteers working on site.
Included in this cost is the maintenance and improvement of wildlife habitats, fence repairs required for conservation grazing, dealing with the impacts of diseases like ash dieback, and all the work that is required to ensure visitors are kept safe and able to enjoy the fantastic wildlife on the reserves.
This means that raising funds is more important than ever. Since the Nature Reserves Fund was established in 2016, agri-environment funding has decreased by almost 25%, and while the Trust received £470k in grants last year, it needed to spend £866k on their management and preservation — leaving a gap of £396k. This year, with the costs of equipment, fuel, and materials increasing at the fastest rate in 40 years, the charity is depending on the Fund to help fill the gap in its funding and ensure that it will be able to continue looking after these very special sites that so many species rely on.
Rachael Fickweiler, Head of Nature Reserves at Somerset Wildlife Trust, says: “The Nature Reserves Fund appeal raises vital funds needed to care for and maintain our county’s beautiful nature reserves, some of the most precious sites for wildlife in Somerset.”
“We know that things are difficult for people financially at the moment, but we ask that people give what they can to ensure we can all continue to connect to and value these special places long into the future.”
“Every donation made to the Nature Reserves Fund makes a crucial difference to our ability to maintain these special sites, which are not only beautiful places but most importantly safeguard a significant range of rare plants and animals.”
To donate, visit https://www.somersetwildlife.org/appeals/nature-reserves-fund or call the Trust on 01823 652429.
