Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust has a great opportunity to buy 7+ acres of land to extend our very successful Restharrow Scrape Nature Reserve. We have leased Jubilee Field and the Dragonfly Field for ten years.
Now we need your help to buy them – because, as owners, we can to do what we cannot do as leaseholders – really make them fit for nature!
Help us Fund the Fields HERE 👇
Managing for Nature – Sharing with People by…
- …creating nesting sites for birds by planting more trees of more native species in the hedge
- …ensuring feeding opportunities for birds in winter
- …enhancing habitat for reptiles, amphibians and small mammals
- …preserving and encouraging the rare plants of the area
- …establishing specialist food plants to increase insect and other invertebrate diversity
- …digging ponds for the really rare dainty damselfly*
- …creating a trail for everyone to enjoy and learn about nature
- …ensuring paths & gates are accessible regardless of physical abilities
Buying the land will guarantee it is for nature – forever!
Our intention is to further increase the biodiversity of ALL of our nature reserves and enhance access to them for people – sharing in nature is known to improve mental and physical health.
Jubilee Field and Dragonfly Field
The dragonfly pond in May 2020 by Steffan Walton
(*Dainty Damselflies are among a number of species of Odonata which breed in the dragonfly pond. It is not common anywhere in the world and, in the UK it was only found at one site in Essex (1946-1952), which was lost to coastal flooding and so it became nationally extinct until rediscovered (2010) breeding in northern Kent. Restricted to private pools on the Isle of Sheppey with no public access. To everyone’s surprise, it was recently discovered at Sandwich Bay in small numbers (2019). Our survey (2020-2022) revealed a population of hundreds of individuals – most of the UK population on our reserve! Its status in the UK is precarious, so we aim to ensure its future by digging more ponds close to the original one and taking extra care with access arrangements. That way it can spread to other sites nearby.)
Dainty Damselflies on the dragonfly pond by Marc Heath
Any amount you can donate will help us reach our target - buying the land will cost c.£134,000, enhancing access and initial habitat creation will cost another c.£16,000 – a total target of £150,000. Birding for All have already donated £1,000 to support access.
Thank you!
...thanks also go to Birdwatching Magazine for giving a wider viewing to our appeal...
