A former farm left to rewild for decades has been saved for generations to come following one of the Wildlife Trusts’ largest ever public fundraising appeals.
Strawberry Hill in Bedfordshire is the largest area of scrub and young woodland in central England and is home to huge numbers of threatened species including nightingales, turtle doves, warblers, bats, wildflowers, butterflies and more.
The Trust has leased the site since 2022 when We Have The Power, a group of conservation minded lenders, and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation stepped in to hold it temporarily. In 2023 half of the site was purchased with a grant from Biffa Award. Earlier this year the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants launched an appeal for £1.5million to buy the remaining half of the site.
Nearly half a million pounds of the appeal total was raised by more than 3,800 individual donations from members of the public. The rest was raised by a substantial private donation as well as large contributions from trusts and funds.
Brian Eversham, Wildlife Trust BCN CEO, said: “The public’s response to this appeal has been simply unprecedented. I have never seen such an outpouring of support, passion and generosity from people in our region and across the UK who love wildlife and want to see it protected.
“We knew Strawberry Hill was a special place when we first began our fight to save it more than two years ago, but we had no idea it would capture people’s imagination in the way it has.
“This summer at Strawberry Hill we have seen enormous numbers of nightingales and many other birds, we’ve discovered rare wildflowers we had no idea were there and we have recorded 11 of the UK’s resident bat species. Each time I visit I have found something new and I have been reminded that nature can bounce back from decades long declines if only we give it a chance.
“I want to say a huge thank you to every single person who donated from the two young brothers who sold lemonade from their own homemade stand, to the people who gave a little each month when they could afford it, right up to the large donations from those fortunate enough to be able to make a significant contribution to a cause close to their hearts. We are all humbled and very proud, and we promise to care for this special place on your behalf for years to come.”
The story of this unique 150 hectare (377 acre) wildlife site began when a farmer ceased farming it in the late 1980s and left it to go wild. As young trees, hawthorn and blackthorn slowly took over it became an ideal habitat for rare birds, insects and plants. It is now home half of all the nightingales in Bedfordshire.
Ownership of the land has now been fully transferred to the Wildlife Trust BCN. Over the coming months we will continue our work managing and monitoring the site and begin to plan for its future, building a conservation management plan as well as creating the right access infrastructure to allow people to experience the site without disturbing wildlife.
To follow the story of Strawberry Hill and find out how you can play your part visit www.wildlifebcn.org/strawberry-hill
