The East of England has topped the list of the National Trust’s most species-rich wildlife sites across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, taking both first and second place in the top 10.
The National Trust has produced the list to mark the 30th anniversary of their very own Biosurvey team, marking three decades of ground breaking wildlife surveys.
Wicken Fen, our oldest nature reserve, takes first place with an amazing 8,100 species. Hatfield Forest comes second with 3,920.
Also just outside the top 10 are the classic coastal sites of Blakeney Point and Orford Ness, highlighting what a rich and diverse region the East of England is.
Stuart Warrington, Nature Conservation Advisor for the East of England, says:
'This shows there are some really very special places under National Trust care in the region, in what's generally a very intensively farmed area of the country.
'The Trust’s Biosurvey team is touring the country as they continue to survey some of Britain’s most special places.
'The team came to the East of England on 22 July, when they carried out a survey of the Wimpole Estate, Cambridgeshire, giving the unique opportunity to find out about the wildlife on our doorstep.
'The Biosurvey team last visited Wimpole in 1986 and we hope that they found some very positive changes. We know that several areas have been restored to parkland and that lovely birds such as barn owls, buzzards and marsh harriers have re-colonised the estate.
'Wimpole seems to be an oasis for wildlife that has been lost from the surrounding farmland and it’ll be exciting to see what the team find on their return.'
National Trust
In 30 years the team of four have surveyed 93% of National Trust land, with some extraordinary finds along the way.
Species never before recorded in the UK have been discovered and ones thought extinct for some time unearthed again.
Dr David Bullock, Head of Nature Conservation at the National Trust, said:
'The work of the Biosurvey team is central to all that we do as a nature conservation charity.
'It’s through their work to identify and record species and habitats that we know what we’re looking after and how best to do that.'
The results of these surveys contribute to the management plans and grant applications for these incredible places, ensuring their continued protection and care.
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