Pulloxhill Marsh
Stop Press – Urgent Update
We have a challenge to save Pulloxhill Marsh - home to rare wildflowers and butterflies. We initially raised £30K thanks to your generous support but a grant application for the remaining sum has not been successfull so we need to ask for your help again.
The new total we need to purchase Pulloxhill Marsh is £98,500.
We are determined that Pulloxhill Marsh will still be saved for wildlife and are approaching other funding sources to help towards the purchase costs. We know you may have already helped but can you find a few more extra pounds to save this wonderful place for wildlife?
Any donation will make a difference. Please, if you can, donate today to save Pulloxhill Marsh.
About Pulloxhill Marsh
Just a few fields distant from our Flitwick Moor nature reserve, lies Pulloxhill Marsh. This 12½ acre Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a fragment of ancient countryside that has somehow escaped the impacts of modern agriculture and development.
Ancient Marsh Abundant with Wildlife
Natural springs flowing into the marsh on three sides have created an unusual wetland of reed and sedge, dominated by blunt-flowered rush and marsh valerian, rare in Bedfordshire.
Sitting in a shallow valley, the wetland gives way to species-rich grassland, with a remarkable abundance of pignut, an umbellifer with fine leaves and delicate white flowers.
Visiting the site, Brian Eversham, our Chief Executive, found a dozen invertebrates he’d never seen before. He believes that, with appropriate management, this small site can support its special wildlife long term and could become a distinctive extension of our nearby Flitwick Moor nature reserve.
FAQs
Why did Biffa Award reject our application?
Sadly, the competition for grants is increasing and many more charities are now applying for the same grants. There simply isn’t enough to go round. Biffa Award would like to help everyone who applies but in the face of many applications they have to make difficult decisions as to what they are able to fund. We have been fortunate to receive funding from Biffa Award previously.
What happens if you don’t raise the funds needed to buy Pulloxhill Marsh?
Should we not raise all the money needed to buy Pulloxhill Marsh then we will have to draw down on our reserve funds to complete on the purchase. Using reserve money is not ideal as this is designed to support the overall operational costs of the Trust should our funds become significantly reduced or cease. Our reserve policy requires us to hold at 6 months funding to cover operational costs. Presently we hold 3.7 months.
What will happen if the appeal raises more than our target?
Pulloxhill Marsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and incredibly important to biodiversity. Any additional funding will enable us to start management work to ensure Pulloxhill remains a wonderful place for wildlife. This will include fencing so that we can bring cattle on to the site to promote a species-rich sward, practical conservation work, and surveying. Any further surplus will go towards other conservation operations in Bedfordshire.
