Decades before the term ‘rewilding’ captured the public imagination, an accidental conservation project began in a quiet corner of Bedfordshire. Strawberry Hill farm was left to go wild, resulting in one of the highest concentrations of nightingales, turtle doves, warblers and other threatened species anywhere in the country.
The 150 hectare (377 acre) site is the largest area of shrubland and young woodland in Central England and has left ecologists who have been studying it in recent months stunned by its biological diversity and abundance.
After gaining a temporary stay of execution for the site, which has no official designations or protections, the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants has raised enough to buy half the land. A major £1.5m appeal has now been launched to secure the whole site and save the habitat there forever. Donations can be made at www.wildlifebcn.org/strawberryhillappeal
Brian Eversham, Wildlife Trust BCN CEO, said: “Strawberry Hill is a magical place: when I first stepped foot there, I knew we had to save it. Nowhere else can you hear dozens of nightingales, calling cuckoos, purring turtle doves and hundreds of warblers all on one short walk.
“Many years before anyone had heard of projects like Knepp or the concept of rewilding, a farmer decided to leave his land to nature. What has emerged is a unique area of meadow and shrubland which is ideal for a range of threatened species. Creating a reserve like this now would mean buying a large area of farmland and leaving it for more than three decades – but here we have a ready made habitat full of nature. All we have to do is raise the money to save it.
“There is so much potential for wildlife to spread out from this site and recolonise the surrounding countryside – it truly is a beacon of hope in one of the most nature depleted countries in the world.”
Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery for The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Strawberry Hill is world-class example of rewilding and further proof that letting nature recover naturally can produce fantastic results. The abundance and density of wildlife is unrivalled across England’s lowlands, with cuckoos, warblers and whitethroats joining in a chorus of song. It is so important that the place is protected for nature in perpetuity
“Nature recovery is reliant on restoring at least 30% of land by 2030. Crucially, when we have brilliant wild areas like Strawberry Hill, we need to protect them and work out ways to join them together. A nature network is fundamental to reversing declines in wildlife, while also benefitting farming and providing myriad of benefits to people.”
The Trust has leased the site since 2022. We have already raised £1million to buy the southern part of the site and now we need to raise a further £1.5million to secure the remaining land and start planning for Strawberry Hill’s future.
Nightingales in the UK have declined by 90% and are in danger of disappearing from the English countryside entirely. Changes in woodland and a lack of the dense shrubland favoured by the species has led to its catastrophic decline. Famed for its strong and beautiful song, this summer migrant is red listed as a species of the highest conservation concern.
Its story and song has fascinated artists for generations and it has been celebrated in Homer’s Odessey, Shakespeare’s sonnets, poems by Milton, T.S Elliot and Keats and inspired music by Beethoven and Stravinsky. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square was one of the most popular wartime era songs, and 100 years ago the sound of cellist Beatrice Harrison duetting live with a nightingale on the airwaves became a defining moment in the early history of the BBC.
Bedfordshire is one of the most intensively farmed counties in the UK. Just 1.2% of the county is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).