Nature reserve received grant boost (From Bridgwater Mercury)

Nature reserve received grant boost

4:27pm Monday 12th February 2007 in

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AN exciting scheme to establish a new nature reserve on the Somerset Levels has received a £50,000 boost from an environmental trust.

Viridor Credits Somerset is giving the money to the Hawk and Owl Trust towards the purchase of 55 hectares of arable land on Shapwick Moor - part of which is an established Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The overall aim is to transform the land into a haven for birds of prey and a wide variety of other wildlife.

Trust director, Linda Bennett, said: "We are extremely grateful for the grant. It will be a tremendous help towards our goal of setting up our own reserve in this nationally important conservation area.

"Once restored to traditional wet grassland, the area will be managed organically by light grazing, with rare breeds such as Red Devon cattle and Hebridean sheep.

"This will help bring back to the area a wide variety of wildlife, from barn owls and bats to water beetles and wild flowers."

Viridor Credits Somerset is an environmental trust set up by Viridor Waste Management, who operates three landfill sites in the county, to administer cash raised by the Government's landfill tax in Somerset, via the Landfill Communities Fund.