White Mills Meadow is a six hectare floodplain meadow near Earls Barton on the banks of the River Nene. This will be the Trust’s 34th reserve in the county and has been generously given to the Trust by a local farming family who would like it to be managed for nature.
The reserve is currently not accessible to the public but it is hoped that after it has been restored to a wildflower-rich habitat it will be possible to allow people to visit.
Matt Johnson, conservation manager for Northamptonshire, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to the Thompson family – we are very grateful for their generosity and for entrusting us with the care of this land. We will now restore it by reintroducing hay cuts and conservation grazing livestock will be brought on site to help manage it.
“Floodplain meadows are one the rarest habitats in England, there are only around 2,000 hectares remaining. Once a traditional part of the countryside they provided food for grazing animals and stored floodwater in winter – and the nectar rich native flowers they support create havens for hundreds of species of insects.
“The staff resources, tools and equipment we need to manage sites like these have become much more expensive in recent years. Our Wilder Future Fund was launched to ensure we can keep protecting and increasing the land we manage – please consider supporting the Fund by donating today.”
The Wilder Future Fund was launched last year as the Wildlife Trust BCN laid out an ambitious five year plan to restore nature and inspire communities in the region. Already more than £300,000 has been raised with more than 750 donations.
