Cheshire Wildlife Trust has launched its largest ever fundraising appeal, aiming to raise £250,000 to acquire a brand-new nature reserve. The trust has the opportunity to purchase a 58-acre plot of land in Cheshire’s Peak District, known as Fox Hill, located in the heart of the Todd Brook Valley. This site holds extraordinary potential and is considered a vital piece of the puzzle to secure the valley’s wild future.
Strategic Location
Fox Hill is adjacent to the trust’s Aldred’s Lea Nature Reserve and just 300 meters from its Greenbooth Nature Reserve. Acquiring Fox Hill would bring 118 acres of land in the area under the care of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, creating a connected and protected landscape for nature to recover.
Restoration Plans
The trust already has plans to restore wildlife at Fox Hill, including:
- Creating new pools and wetlands along the brook to improve habitats for dippers and kingfishers and help slow water flow.
- Developing small pockets of scrub and woodland to benefit species such as redstart.
- Relaxing the grazing regime to allow more tussocky grassland areas, enhancing habitats for hunting barn owls.
- Implementing conservation grazing to boost botanical diversity for pollinators.
Urgent Appeal
Ben Gregory, Director of Nature Recovery, said: “Fox Hill has extraordinary potential for wildlife. To the untrained eye, this is a breathtaking landscape, however, over the last few decades there have been marked declines in bird populations. Wildlife is struggling due to habitat loss and wild spaces being smaller and more fragmented. Species like lapwing are disappearing, and without intervention, we could lose the unique cry of our curlew too. Buying Fox Hill will mean we can restore and create habitat for these struggling species and give them the help that they so desperately need. With Fox Hill sitting so close to our Aldred’s Lea and Greenbooth Nature Reserves it presents an unmissable opportunity to make a huge difference on a landscape scale here in Cheshire’s Peak District. We urgently need to raise £250,000 before the end of September to make this possible. Please help us by donating to our appeal today.”
The trust has created a short film showcasing Fox Hill and its potential for wildlife, featuring stunning drone footage. The film and donation options are available at cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/foxhill.
