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What’s it all about?

The past few months have seen some fantastic activity in the woods and wetland almost opposite the entrance to Fell End Holiday Park. Lakes have been dug or enlarged; islands have been made. Earth walls (bunds) have been constructed on the walkway between the reserve car park and the woods. Native trees and shrubs have been planted as well as native flowers attractive to butterflies. And a brand new viewing Hide (The John Wilson Hide) has been erected to offer you fantastic views over the lower lake and beyond. Just under 30 acres has been donated to wildlife and to you, by Pure Leisure Group!

What is a nature reserve and what is it for?

This region was covered in ice and snow around 13000 years ago. Once this retreated towards the Arctic again, wildlife returned here and so did humans! For the past 12000 years or so of history, wild things and humans found a way to live together in a fairly balanced way. Farmers farmed; hunters hunted, and although a lot of land was cleared of trees to make good land for cereal crops and animal grazing, nature seemed to do well in partnership with us humans. But then the machine age began around 250 years ago and more humans needed space to live and work in. This expansion of the human population is continuing and it’s putting a terrible strain on wildlife and wild places!

Many once common native animals, plants, insects, birds, reptiles, trees and shrubs have become scarce and some have either vanished completely into history or will do soon if we don’t do something to try to help them fight back for survival.  For several decades, people have realised that something drastic has to be done to help wildlife to survive. That’s why organisations like the RSPB, The Woodland Trust and many other conservation organisations were started.

For You to Enjoy

Fell End Nature Reserve is not only for wildlife but also for you to enjoy. Thanks to this vision and the ongoing work of a team of volunteer experts and other field-working volunteers, Fell End Nature Reserve is already offering each and every one of you a precious and wonderful chance to witness, listen to and experience an amazing diversity of life living in a natural and undisturbed environment. Already we have seen more than 40 kinds of birds on the reserve. And the chances are that we will find hundreds of types of plants, dozens of kinds of large and small mammals, reptiles and amphibians- and thousands of species of insects!

Why is it called a reserve?

Well to put it simply, it’s a place reserved for nature. It’s a kind of ‘haven’ or ‘oasis’ that’s free of human interference in its best and ideal conditions. If we don’t do more to save spaces for nature to thrive the astonishing variety of life will become smaller. And we’ll have lost our way in being a part of the greater picture of the diversity of nature. The already wonderful reserve is part of the much-needed move to try to reverse negative trends for wild things. And to offer us humans a tremendous thrill in being with it!

This is a place for you to learn about how nature works, as well as the reserve’s history, and it’s for you to enjoy and experience in as many ways as you can. Walk, listen, draw or photograph the sites you see and encourage your friends and family to do the same. The rewards are beyond value and you’ll be joining with the whole natural history of the earth in the great adventure that life on earth can and should be!

Listen to the Spring Sounds of Fell End Nature Reserve here

We look forward to welcoming you to Fell End Nature Reserve soon.

The Research and Management Group
Fell End Nature Reserve
May, 2018.

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