Land Acquisition at Aston on Trent to connect and expand Witches Oak Water Nature reserve

We have an exciting opportunity to create a huge area of new space for nature & people, in perpetuity. This is a once in a generation opportunity to buy a 63ha area of land next to one of our existing nature reserves. The land at Aston-on-Trent is currently very nature depleted and we will transform it into a haven for wildlife & people through rewilding it. Opportunities to expand space for nature next to our nature reserves rarely come up, so we want to seize the opportunity to create and connect this massive area of new habitats for nature to thrive.
We want to buy the land to rewild it, to tackle the issues that are being caused by climate change and halt to biodiversity loss. We’ll do this by enabling complex habitats to establish, and by creating a network of sites, across the landscape into which nature can recover. We’ll investigate what lost species should live there and make plans to reintroduce them, and create opportunities for people to be at the heart of site’s new future.
The project will allow us to buy the site, for us to achieve the overarching aim to create 63ha of new space for nature & people on a site that is currently very nature depleted, creating a bigger, better and more connected landscape where everyone has access to enjoy nature. Everyone will be able to hear skylarks sing, dip in ponds, see kestrels hunting for voles and harvest mice and count butterflies, such as meadow browns and small tortoiseshells, which were once ubiquitous experiences for all and gave children and young people lifelong connections to nature and the natural world.
Once owned we will put in place innovative interpretation of the natural world, so that people can understand and connect with nature. We will provide opportunities for people to get involved in activities such as delivery of practical habitat restoration to kickstart nature led rewilding and wildlife monitoring. We want to work along side the local community to co-create a restoration plan for the site and ensure the community have a sense of ownership.