£72,000 boost to protect Formby Nature Reserve

WORK has started on a £72,000 project to protect and improve Formby's Freshfield Dune Heath Nature Reserve, Brewery Lane.

The 35 hectare nature reserve comprises a range of habitats. Part of it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation as it hosts a particularly rare type of heathland called Lowland Dune Heath. Lancashire Wildlife Trust are leading this project to safeguard the site as a heathland by managing scrub incursion through grazing and other removal techniques. Volunteers have started clearing the site, ready for the installation of infrastructure such as electric fencing to enable goats to graze. Work is expected to be complete by November 2016. Funding for the work is coming from Natural England and The Veolia Environmental Trust who have awarded a grant of £31,053 through the Landfill Communities Fund. When planning the work, Lancashire Wildlife Trust consulted their network of staff, volunteers and visitors who work, walk and study at Freshfield Dune Heath. They received letters of support for the project from volunteers and outside agencies. Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Officer, Fiona Whitfield said: “This work will enable us and our volunteers to safeguard and manage a rare habitat and improve it for its visitors and the species that call it home. ”The site is used for informal recreation and as an educational resource by the local community. We are delighted that work has started.“ The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, added: ”We are pleased to be supporting this important project. It is great to hear that work is underway and even better that volunteers are getting involved. “The work will improve the biodiversity of Freshfield Dune Heath for the benefit of wildlife and for the people who visit the site to relax, birdwatch, walk, exercise and learn about the area and its wildlife. ”I look forward to seeing the completed results.“