We are delighted to announce that £250,000 has been successfully raised for Askham Bog following a six-month appeal. Money raised will help the Trust’s oldest reserve and its wildlife withstand the challenges posed by heatwaves, drought and invasive species, while holding increasing amounts of flood water and welcoming more visitors.
Askham Bog is Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s inaugural reserve, as the Trust was founded to care for it in 1946. A fragment of ancient peatland banded by road and railway line, the reserve is home to extensive rare wildlife from centuries-old royal ferns to hundreds of different moth species, as well as more common and beloved robins, roe deer and dragonflies.
The reserve was closed for five months between February and July this year to allow the Trust to replace the boardwalk, provide new visitor infrastructure and undertake some vital management work. The money raised will go towards specialist surveys and crucial management works that will take place over the next few years.
David Craven, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Head of Operations in East Yorkshire, says, “We are overwhelmingly grateful. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our Action for Askham Bog appeal – our members and supporters in Yorkshire and further afield, Kelling Group, and the local community, who we know have long and cherished memories of spending time at the Bog. We have enjoyed hearing from people of all ages just how special Askham Bog is to them, and invite everyone to come along and see the recent changes we’ve made to our reserve.”
Like many nature reserves rich in plants and trees, Askham Bog has fared better during a hot dry summer, but its peaty soils have struggled with the impact of five heatwaves. Many ditches and pools have dried out. Funds from the appeal will help the Trust to keep more water on site, so more carbon can be stored and rare plants remain protected.
David continues, “Evidence shows our summers will be hotter and drier, while winters could be wetter. So places like Askham Bog need to be more resilient and help us better manage these extreme weather events. Improving ponds and installing features such as a tilting weir will allow us to store more water on-site, for the peat and wildlife while protecting York’s communities.”
The Trust will also remove scrub in places and stop invasive species like Himalayan balsam from taking over. Surveys will also help the Trust to understand more about the best way to manage the water, plants and features of Askham Bog to secure its next eighty years.
