Local Wildlife Sites are wildlife rich areas, found on public or, private land, and they include a range of wildlife habitats from grasslands, ancient woodlands, fens and orchards to rivers and streams.

Sites are identified and selected locally by the Local Wildlife Site Panel – a partnership of local authorities, nature conservation charities, statutory agencies, ecologists and local nature experts – which was re-established in May this year. The panel uses scientifically-determined criteria and surveys and their selection of sites is based on the most important, distinctive and threatened wildlife species and habitats within a national, regional or local context.

Many of Herefordshire’s 750 Local Wildlife Sites had not been resurveyed since their initial selection in the 1990s so Herefordshire Wildlife Trust began the A Wilder Herefordshire Project, funded by Green Recovery Challenge Fund in 2021 to address this.

This summer the Local Wildlife Site Team - Nature Recovery Network Officer Sam Price and Wildlife Survey Trainees Holly Thompson and Toby Fountain – have completed 52 surveys of grassland sites. At the same time, project partners, Herefordshire Meadows, have been surveying and reporting on a number of potential new Local Wildlife Sites with 30 to be submitted to the Panel for assessment.

Toby Fountain said:

“The surveying season this year has been both highly enjoyable and successful. Since late spring we have been surveying two to three sites a week across Herefordshire, dealing with a range of different habitats such as neutral grassland, woodland and marsh. Through this project, we have gained a valuable insight into the condition of Herefordshire’s Local Wildlife Sites, as well as created valuable relationships between local landowners and the Trust.”

Holly Thompson said:

“We have seen some beautiful and diverse sites, but also some very degraded ones in relation to their initial selection description. I think that after 30 years or so since their initial selection, that it is really positive so many sites are still of good quality and will retain their status as a LWS. It’s great to work with so many passionate landowners who wish to manage their land is a positive way for biodiversity.”

While selecting a site a ‘Local Wildlife Trust’ offers no legal protection, it is important that these places that are so special for wildlife are designated as it helps statutory authorities and NGOs such as Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to map wildlife habitats across the county. They can then identify areas where wildlife habitats can be better connected by restoring land for nature – such as through changing the management of grassland, planting hedgerows or extending a woodland. It also provides an opportunity for landowners and local communities to find out more about how to manage these sites and access potential funding to keep them in prime condition.

Following a successful summer of surveying grasslands, the team will now move on to survey woodlands over the autumn and winter. The project comes to a close in spring 2023 and it is hoped that the people who have helped with the project will continue the work to care for and monitor Local Wildlife Sites into the future.