A brand-new nature reserve in Wiltshire opened to the public at the beginning of November.
Owned by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust (WWT), Bay Meadow consists of 12 ha of restored water meadows, and was opened to the public on 1 November. The reserve is situated on the outskirts of Marlborough, within the North Wessex Downs.
The scenic Bay Meadow is situated near Marlborough (WWT).
The site, which has the River Og, a chalk stream, running through it, was bought by WWT last year to protect it from potential development. It was funded through donations from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Hills Group, Dyson, Fish in Need, Marlborough Area Board and Marlborough Town Council.
As part of community engagement work, organisations, schools and clubs took part in restoration work such as building dens and nestboxes. The reserve also includes space to deliver activities for WWT’s Marlborough Wellbeing Programme, a scheme set-up to connect people with nature.
WWT chief executive officer Joanna Lewis said the reserve would be “a place for local people to come to relax, unwind and connect with nature”.
Ms Lewis added: “We need nature in our lives, for our health and happiness and for the resilience of our farming systems and the stability of our climate. In saving Bay Meadows, and working together to create a new nature reserve and a new community nature park, we have stood up for nature and for people.”
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