The work was carried out at Lattersey Nature Reserve near Whittlesey with a grant from the Glassmoor Local Environment Fund.

Lattersey provides a green space for the people of Whittlesey and surrounding communities to enjoy and a place where fenland wildlife can thrive. The role of the reserve as a public amenity is increasingly important as Whittlesey expands, including some development very close to the reserve.

The habitat on the 11-hectare site has developed over old gravel workings and clay pits and forms a complex mosaic of grassland, scrub, mature trees, and pools of varying sizes. The Wildlife Trust manages the site on behalf of the owners, Fenland District Council.

We were awarded a grant to improve the grass sward on the site, plant new trees and arrange additional training for volunteers. We purchased and sowed wild flower seeds over the autumn period and planted a mixture of native tree species, including bird cherry, hazel, holly, dog rose, dogwood and spindleberry, protected by biodegradable tree protectors.

Training courses have been arranged for our volunteers to learn how to use brushcutters and strimmers safely. This will enable them to undertake essential routine maintenance to keep the habitats in good condition and the public safe.

Eamonn Lawler, Senior Reserves Officer, said: “Lattersey Nature Reserve is a relatively small nature reserve and isolated from the surrounding countryside by urban development. This puts its wildlife at greater risk from the pressures we associate with climate change such as drought, wetter winters, and tree diseases.

“We want the nature reserve to thrive into the future and to do that we need to look after it. What better way to do this than to resource local people with the skills and tools to help us do this. With their involvement we’ve trained new volunteer wardens with the skills to help maintain the reserve and over the past year, they’ve helped us plant in a broader range of native tree species and seed in new native flowering plant species to help build in more resilience for the future to come.

“We’re very grateful for the support we’ve received from the Glassmoor fund.”