|
Welcome to the web-site of the Lingfield Nature Reserves. We hope that you enjoy browsing our web-site and, even more, that you enjoy looking around our nature reserves, which are only the 2nd village-based reserve in the country to be awarded LNR (Local Nature Reserve) status by English Nature. The reserves occupy a 26-acre site and are a mixture of meadows, hedges, and woodland copses and also boast a wetland area with a number of ponds and small pools, an orchard, a wildflower meadow and a butterfly garden. The reserves are managed in such a way as to gain maximum benefit for the flora and fauna, with increased biodiversity very much in mind. Management and administration of the reserves is undertaken by a team of volunteers and, as such, we are always on the look-out for a bit more help - both in terms of expertise and manpower. If you are interested in helping to look after this wonderful local resource, why not come along to our regular work parties, which are usually held once a month, and if you have any particular knowledge of any aspect of wildlife or habitat management, we would be particularly interested in hearing from you. Access to the reserves is free and open to all, and a network of both hard-standing and grass paths makes it suitable for pushchairs and wheelchair users. |
Surrey Wildlife Trust Community Champion Awards
On 3rd August 2023, Surrey Wildlife Trust announced the winners of the Community Champion Awards, celebrating individual and collective actions being taken for nature by Surrey Community Groups.
Lingfield Nature Reserves are thrilled to have been awarded the High Flyer award for making a significant imact on connecting nature and engaging local people. On behalf of the Reserves, John Madden and Lesley Steeds accepted a bespoke surrey Wildlife Trust plaque which will be displayed in the Lingfield and Dormansland Community Centre.
Follow the link below for a Youtube video of John explaining more about the success of the Reserves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emPxoLLpBFE
We are delighted to announce that we have been accepted as one of the local causes to benefit from the Co-op Community fund.
The fund opened last Sunday and will run for a year. If you would like to help us please do the following
- Join as a member of the Co-op – it costs £1 to join and if you use the membership card each time you shop, certain co-op products will result in a small donation to the cause of your choice. Details on how to join are here
- Log into your co-op member account and choose us as your cause. If you are already a member, all you need to do is click on this link. You can send the link to friends and family anywhere and they can support us with their spending too! https://membership.coop.co.uk/causes/63949
- Shop in any Co-op, remembering to scan your membership card
We would like to encourage all our volunteers, supporters, friends and family to choose our cause so that when you shop in any Co-op with a co-op members card and buy co-op products we get a small donation from the Co-op. We were a local cause 2 years ago and the support we got amounted to over £1000 that we were able to put towards buying hedging plants for the new hedge, bank and ditch and buying equipment for use by volunteers. It was a major source of funding for us and so would be fantastic to benefit again over the next year.
During the pandemic, being able to connect with nature has been shown to improve wellbeing for everyone so the funding we receive this year will be spent on projects that will help local people to engage more with the amazing nature we have in our reserves. We were limited with what we could do this year due to COVID regulations but we hope to run a series of events in 2022 using this funding.
If you shop in any Co-op, please consider joining and nominating us as your local cause!
FAQ
Once you have chosen our cause…
- You must use the members card when you shop for us to get your donation
- You can send the link to anyone, they don’t need to live in the Lingfield area.
- You can shop in any co-op and potentially earn money for the reserves
- You can change to support another cause at any point during the year
- The fund runs from 24 October 2021 until 23rd October 2022.
- Further information about the Community fund is found here
Butterflies ... A Great Success Story on the Reserves bucking the National trend!
We have been counting butterflies on the Lingfield Nature Reserves since 2002 and this has been our best year ever in terms of total numbers of butterflies recorded. This is in stark contrast to the Big Butterfly Count 2021 by Butterfly Conservation, which sadly saw the lowest number of butterflies and moths ever recorded (see the lnnk below)
So what is behind our very different experience to the Big Butterfly Count? Small/essex skipper, dingy skipper, orange tip, brown argus, red admiral, gate keeper and meadow brown all had their best ever years. Brimstone, small copper, peacock and small heath had their second best ever year. That is quite a range of species with different flight periods, life cycles, preferred habitats and food plants. Some of it maybe down to over enthusiastic recording due to the Butterfly Garden now being so good as a nectar source as is the area around the Coldharbour pond but it is hard not to conclude that improving habitat is the reason. The replanting of the Butterfly Garden now full of buddleia and other excellent nectar sources must be contributing to the numbers for species like red admiral and peacock. The planting of alder buckthorn all over the reserves must be helping brimstone. Meanwhile our best ever year for common spotted orchids and evidence of betony spreading out from the ditches into the wider meadows suggests the grasslands are getting more flower rich. This must be helping our butterflies buck the national trend. It just shows that we can do something about insect declines and everyone should try to create good habit with more wildflowers.
Small Copper in Bloomers Field (30/9/21) (Image courtesy of Richard Stephens)
Lingfield Nature Reserves Leaflet
Follow us!
Keep up to date on wildlife sightings, current and future projects on the Reserves by joining our Facebook group (Lingfield Nature Reserves) and following us on Instagram (@lingfieldnaturereserves) and Twitter (@AreaWildlife). Click on the links below.
