Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust facts for kids
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is a special group that works to protect nature in Lincolnshire, England. It's part of a bigger team called the Wildlife Trusts partnership. This group started way back in 1948. Their main goal is to look after the amazing wildlife and beautiful wild places in Lincolnshire. They also want to help people understand and enjoy the natural world around them.
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What the Trust Does
The main office for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is in a place called Banovallum House, in Horncastle. The Trust has more than 27,000 members, which is a lot of people! They manage 95 different nature reserves, which are like safe homes for animals and plants. These reserves cover a huge area, about 34.49 square kilometers (that's about 8,523 acres!).
They have five main nature reserves that are great for visitors and for learning:
- Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve
* This was the very first reserve the Trust bought, back in 1949. * It's a coastal area with sandy sand dunes, salt marsh, and brackish (slightly salty) pools. * You can find it about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Skegness. * It has car parks, a visitor centre with a cafe, a shop, and toilets.
* This reserve opened in 1973. * It has lakes, reedbeds (areas with tall grass-like plants), and meadows. * It's located in the north of the county, right by the Humber Estuary, about 3 kilometers (2 miles) west of Barton upon Humber. * You'll find car parking, toilets, a shop, and a classroom here.
* Opened in 1989, this park has lakes, meadows, and young woodland. * It's in the west of Lincolnshire, next to the A46 Lincoln by-pass. * Facilities include car parking, an education centre with a laboratory and classroom, and even an adventure playground for kids! * The 'Natural World Centre' has toilets, a cafe, a shop, and cool exhibitions. (Just so you know, the car parks, playground, and Natural World Centre are looked after by North Kesteven District Council).
- Snipe Dales Country Park & Nature Reserve
* This reserve started in 1974. * It has wet grasslands, scrub, and conifer (evergreen) woodland. * It's in the middle of the county, on the B1195 road between Horncastle and Spilsby. * The Trust is slowly changing the conifer trees to native broadleaved trees, which are better for local wildlife. * There's car parking and toilets available.
* This reserve opened in 2004. * It features lakes and young woodland, located in the south of the county by the River Welland. * It's about 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Deeping St James on the B1166 road. * Currently, only car parking is available as the site is still being developed.
The Trust has 78 full-time and part-time staff members. But they also get a lot of help from over 1,300 volunteers! These volunteers often come from the Trust's 16 local groups, which are based in different towns across the county. These groups also arrange fun meetings, visits, and social events. They help raise money and find new members too.
Did you know that 5,000 of the Trust's members are under 16 years old? That's awesome! The Trust has a special junior group just for them called Wildlife Watch. This group runs seven smaller groups around Lincolnshire, organizing exciting events and activities for children.
The money that helps the Trust do all its amazing work comes from a few places. It mostly comes from members paying their subscriptions, money raised by the local groups, donations, and grants from local councils and government groups (especially for special projects). They also get money from their sales business and from legacies (money left to them in people's wills).
Nature Reserves and Their Features
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust manages many different nature reserves. Here's a look at some of them, including how you can visit them:
How to Access Reserves
- BPA = You can only visit if you arrange it with the Trust beforehand.
- No = This site is not open to the public.
- Yes = You can visit all or most of this site.
| Site | Image | Area | Location | Public Access | Classifications | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancaster Valley | 10 hectares (25 acres) | 52°58′44″N 0°32′09″W / 52.978924°N 0.53591996°W | Yes | A steep valley famous for its beautiful, flower-filled limestone grassland. You might see special plants like pasqueflower and bee orchid. Birds like the Eurasian green woodpecker also live here. | ||
| Barrow Blow Wells |  |
3 hectares (7.4 acres) | 53°41′03″N 0°22′39″W / 53.684185°N 0.37762291°W | Yes | LNR | This reserve has reedmarshes and woodland around two "blow wells," which are natural springs where water comes up from underground. |
| Barrow Haven Reedbed |  |
13 hectares (32 acres) | 53°41′53″N 0°23′50″W / 53.697929°N 0.39716479°W | Yes | LNR | A reedbed formed in old, flooded clay pits. |
| Deeping Lakes |  |
71 hectares (180 acres) | 52°39′24″N 0°15′02″W / 52.656675°N 0.25064869°W | Yes | LNR, SSSI | This site used to be gravel pits that are now flooded. It's a great place for wildfowl (water birds) and other wetland creatures. |
| Donna Nook National Nature Reserve |  |
1,150 hectares (2,800 acres) | 53°28′29″N 000°09′07″E / 53.47472°N 0.15194°E | Yes | NNR | A coastal salt marsh famous for its large number of grey seals that come here every year to have their babies. |
| Far Ings National Nature Reserve |  |
59 hectares (150 acres) | 53°41′49″N 0°27′36″W / 53.696838°N 0.45998523°W | Yes | NNR, SSSI, Ramsar site | Reedbeds found in old, flooded clay pits. It's a very important place for wildfowl and other wetland wildlife. |
| Fiskerton Fen |  |
7 hectares (17 acres) | ||||
| Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve |  |
437 hectares (1,080 acres) | 53°05′47″N 0°19′42″E / 53.09641°N 0.32838°E | Yes | NNR | A large coastal reserve with sand dunes, salt marsh, and pools, great for birdwatching. |
| Great Casterton Road Banks |  |
1 hectare (2.5 acres) | 52°39′47″N 0°30′50″W / 52.663°N 0.514°W | |||
| Saltfleetby – Theddlethorpe Dunes |  |
951 hectares (2,350 acres) | 53°24′08″N 0°12′23″E / 53.4023°N 0.2064°E | Yes | NNR | A beautiful coastal area with dunes and marsh, home to many different species. |
| Snipe Dales |  |
87 hectares (210 acres) | 53°11′46″N 0°00′18″W / 53.196°N 0.005°W | Yes | A mix of wet grassland, scrub, and woodland, perfect for exploring nature. | |
| Stanton's Pit |  |
8 hectares (20 acres) | LNR | |||
| Swinn Wood | 20 hectares (49 acres) | LNR | ||||
| Whisby Nature Park |  |
144 hectares (360 acres) | Yes | A popular park with lakes, meadows, and woodlands, offering educational facilities and an adventure playground. | ||
| Woodhall Spa Airfield Nature Reserve | .jpg) |
53°07′51″N 0°11′56″W / 53.130728°N 0.19893587°W | BPA | NNR | This reserve used to be an airfield and a gravel quarry. Now it's a home for wildlife. |
Images for kids
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Baston Fen
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Dawson City Clay Pits
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Frampton Marsh
