Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire to benefit from expansion to National Nature Reserve.
An area of land dedicated to the conservation, study and enjoyment of England’s wildlife is to be made even bigger with an extension to Bedfordshire’s largest National Nature Reserve.
Already boasting around 148 hectares, the protected area at King’s Wood and Rushmere is set to gain an extra 43, bringing its total size to 191 hectares.
Best of England’s nature
The extension into Buckinghamshire, granted by Natural England, means that an even greater, cross-county area of countryside and wildlife will benefit from legal protection and expert environmental management.
People will benefit too, with National Nature Reserves being much-loved places to enjoy and study the best of England’s natural surroundings.
Located between Milton Keynes and Luton, the National Nature Reserve at King’s Wood and Rushmere is one of just three such sites in Bedfordshire.
Home to variety of species
Established in 1993, the reserve includes heath, ancient woodland, grassland, wetland, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and parts of the Rushmere Country Park.
It is home to a variety of species including the barbastelle bat, the purple emperor butterfly, and Bedfordshire’s largest population of lily of the valley.
The 43-hectare expansion covers land managed by Tarmac and The Greensand Trust, which already manage parts of the existing reserve alongside Central Bedfordshire Council and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Managing nature’s recovery
Tarmac has passed strict assessments to become an ‘approved body’ for managing National Nature Reserves. It is one of just a few commercial organisations nationwide to have achieved the status, showing it has the skills, capabilities and desire to manage nature’s recovery and encourage people to connect with their environment.
Part of the site, Shire Oak Heath, has recently been acquired by The Greensand Trust, which carries out conservation work and provide access across much of the King’s Wood and Rushmere National Nature Reserve. The charity is working hard to bring the rare heathland habitats back to their former glory.
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Posted On: 08/12/2020