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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Anderby Marsh.jpg
Anderby Marsh
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Arnold's Meadow.jpg
Arnold's Meadow
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Banovallum House.jpg
Banovallum House
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Baston Fen
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Bloxholm Wood.jpg
Bloxholm Wood
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Boston Road Bricks.jpg
Boston Road Bricks
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Boultham Mere.jpg
Boultham Mere
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Candlesby Hill Quarry.jpg
Candlesby Hill Quarry
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Chapel Pit.jpg
Chapel Pit
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Clapgate Pits.jpg
Clapgate Pits
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Crowle Moor.jpg
Crowle Moor
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Dawson City Clay Pits
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Digby Corner.jpg
Digby Corner
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Dole Wood.jpg
Dole Wood
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Duke's Covert and Copper Hill.jpg
Duke's Covert and Copper Hill
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Epworth Turbary.jpg
Epworth Turbary
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Fairfield Pit.jpg
Fairfield Pit
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Fir Hill Quarry.jpg
Fir Hill Quarry
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Frampton Marsh
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Friskney Decoy Wood.jpg
Friskney Decoy Wood
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Furze Hill, Lincolnshire.jpg
Furze Hill
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Goslings Corner Wood.jpg
Goslings Corner Wood
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Greetwell Hollow.jpg
Greetwell Hollow
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Hatton Meadows.jpg
Hatton Meadows
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Haxey Turbary.jpg
Haxey Turbary
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Heath's Meadows.jpg
Heath's Meadows
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Hopland's Wood.jpg
Hopland's Wood
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Horbling Line.jpg
Horbling Line
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Huttoft Bank Pit.jpg
Huttoft Bank Pit
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Keal Carr.jpg
Keal Carr
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Killingholme Haven Pits.jpg
Killingholme Haven Pits
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Kingerby Beck Meadows.jpg
Kingerby Beck Meadows
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Kirkby Gravel Pits.jpg
Kirkby Gravel Pits
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Kirkby Moor, Lincolnshire.jpg
Kirkby Moor
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Landholme Wood.jpg
Landholme Wood
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Lawn Wood, and Bottleneck and Jackson's Meadows.jpg
Lawn Wood, and Bottleneck and Jackson's Meadows
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Legbourne Wood.jpg
Legbourne Wood
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Linwood Warren.jpg
Linwood Warren
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Messingham Sand Quarry.jpg
Messingham Sand Quarry
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Mill Hill Quarry.jpg
Mill Hill Quarry
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Moor Closes.jpg
Moor Closes
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Moor Farm.jpg
Moor Farm
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Moulton Marsh.jpg
Moulton Marsh
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Muckton Wood.jpg
Muckton Wood
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Pasture Wharf.jpg
Pasture Wharf
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Pickering's Meadow.jpg
Pickering's Meadow
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Pinchbeck Slipe.jpg
Pinchbeck Slipe
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Rauceby Warren.jpg
Rauceby Warren
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Red Hill (nature reserve).jpg
Red Hill
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Rigsby Wood.jpg
Rigsby Wood
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Robert's Field.jpg
Robert's Field
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Roughton Moor Wood.jpg
Roughton Moor Wood
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Rush Furlong.jpg
Rush Furlong
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Sandilands Pit.jpg
Sandilands Pit
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Scotton Common.jpg
Scotton Common
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Sedge Hole Close.jpg
Sedge Hole Close
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Silverines Meadows.jpg
Silverines Meadows
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Sotby Meadows.jpg
Sotby Meadows
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South Witham Verges.jpg
South Witham Verges
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Sow Dale.jpg
Sow Dale
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Spendluffe Meadows.jpg
Spendluffe Meadows
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Surfleet Lows.jpg
Surfleet Lows
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Tetney Blow Wells.jpg
Tetney Blow Wells
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The Shrubberies.jpg
The Shrubberies
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Thurlby Fen Slipe.jpg
Thurlby Fen Slipe
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Toby's Hill.jpg
Toby's Hill
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Toft Tunnel.jpg
Toft Tunnel
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Tortoiseshell Wood and Porter's Lodge Meadows.jpg
Tortoiseshell Wood and Porter's Lodge Meadows
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Tunman Wood.jpg
Tunman Wood
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Watts Wood.jpg
Watts Wood
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Welton-le-Wold.jpg
Welton-le-Wold
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Willoughby Branch Line.jpg
Willoughby Branch Line
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Willoughby Meadow.jpg
Willoughby Meadow
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Willow Tree Fen.jpg
Willow Tree Fen
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Wolla Bank Pit.jpg
Wolla Bank Pit
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Wolla Bank Reedbed.jpg
Wolla Bank Reedbed
