Spanning the width of Yorkshire from Huddersfield to Doncaster and Spurn Point, the Trust’s four flagship nature reserves and visitor hubs – Spurn, Potteric Carr, North Cave Wetlands and Stirley – offer some of the best wildlife-watching opportunities in the county. From the wild and windswept shores of Spurn Point to the wealth of wildlife bursting at Potteric Carr, these reserves aren’t just vital spaces for nature to thrive; they are also important spaces where people across Yorkshire can be inspired by our amazing natural heritage.
The project will help the Trust to develop a ‘Greenprint’ framework to enhance flagship sites that model what nature’s recovery could look like and serve as vital green space for their local communities. As part of this, the Trust will focus on strategies to make the sites sustainable for the future, accessible for all, and hubs to support #TeamWilder community action.
Rachael Bice, CEO of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said, “This fantastic award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is game-changing for us; a unique opportunity to look carefully and expertly at how our flagship nature reserves can truly inspire, educate, and provide wonderful wildlife experiences for more people in spaces that are sustainable for the future.
“In our 80th year, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has bold ambitions to help nature survive and thrive into the future. Alongside our recently-released blueprint to achieve nature’s recovery, we also want to make sure local communities have space to spend more time in the wild – that our green spaces and our amazing wildlife are accessible to all, and where visitors can engage with nature in a way that is truly inspiring.”
Helen Feathertone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said, “Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is celebrating its 80th year, and to mark this special occasion, we’re delighted to be funding this important project. Supporting nature recovery and plans to make nature accessible to all, align firmly with our key priorities at the Heritage Fund and thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we’re very proud to be playing a role in making that happen across Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s four flagship sites.”
Thanks to the funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Trust has employed a Visitor Destination Development Manager to lead the work alongside colleagues at the Trust. The Trust will create its ’greenprint’ for flagship nature reserve development over the next 18 months, and will be looking for further funding to make its ambitions a reality.