Early Bedfordshire rewilding site saved after 'outpouring' of public support
A "unique" site for nightingales and other wildlife on farmland left to go wild for decades has been saved following a £1.5 million appeal.
Strawberry Hill in Bedfordshire has been saved after nearly £500,000 was raised by more than 3,800 individual public donations plus a substantial private donation and contributions from trusts and funds.
The previous owner of the 377-acre site stopped farming his land 37 years ago.
Once-arable fields have since reverted to scrub and the young woodland is now home to a host of wildlife including threatened nightingales, cuckoos, turtle doves, bats, butterflies and wildflowers.
The site had no official designations or protections and following the owner's death there were fears the land would be sold and returned to agriculture.
After gaining a temporary stay of execution for the site, the Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants (BCN) was able to buy half the site with a grant from Biffa Award.
In June, a £1.5 million appeal was launched to buy the whole site and to save the habitat and wildlife.
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."
The BCN, which is selling the listed farmhouse and farm buildings because of the cost of restoring and maintaining them, also plans to create some facilities for staff and visitors to allow people to experience the site without disturbing wildlife.
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