Protecting Worcestershire’s Wetland Wildlife
Help us secure and protect a rare and precious wetland landscape
Tucked away in the southwest of Worcestershire lies a remarkable patch of land - a mosaic of willow-lined streams, veteran oaks, wildflower-rich fields and marshy grasslands. Nestled between our existing nature reserves at Hill Court Farm and The Blacklands, Hardwick Green Meadows and Rawling’s Meadow, this land forms part of the historic Longdon and Eldersfield Marshes - one of the last wild wetlands in the county.
Thanks to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, 14 hectares (34.5 acres) are being temporarily secured on our behalf through their land purchase loan scheme. Now, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to raise the funds needed to buy this part of a special landscape and protect it forever. Already rich in wildlife, the site needs only light-touch management and monitoring to keep it thriving.
We need to raise £325,000 to make this happen and we can’t do it without you.
Matched funding available – double your impact today
We’ve already raised over £91,000 through the Big Give’s Green Match Fund and generous private supporters. Now, two passionate bird enthusiasts have pledged an additional £20,000 in matched funding to help inspire others to give.
While the matched pot lasts, your donation will be matched pound for pound. That means your £10 becomes £20, your £50 becomes £100 - doubling your impact for Worcestershire’s wetland wildlife.
Matched gifts will help us get off to a flying start but with a target of £325,000, every donation is vital. Whether you give during the match or after it’s been met, your support will help us protect this precious habitat for generations to come.
Securing this land would expand our network of nature reserves while contributing to the wider landscape of wildlife sites, helping to protect this valuable wetland and improve habitat connectivity for species to move more freely between protected areas.Mike PerryChief Executive Officer
A special wetland habitat
The Longdon and Eldersfield Marshes were once the beating heart of Worcestershire’s wetland wildlife. In the 19th century, this vast expanse of floodplain supported otters, bitterns, swallowtail butterflies and thousands of migrating birds.
In Victorian times, much of the marsh was drained and large parts of this precious habitat were lost. Vital fragments still remain. The land we are fundraising for sits at the heart of what’s left. It continues to flood regularly, creating the dynamic, seasonally wet conditions that support a wealth of wildlife.
Today, this is a site of exceptional ecological value, one that needs only protection and careful management.
Longdon Marsh is covered with water in a wet autumnal season and at that time assumes the appearance of an extensive lake... In autumn the marsh is covered with geese, and the ground, white with feathers, presents a strangely barren aspect amidst the cultivated country.Edwin Leenaturalist, 1867
Why this land matters
Isolated reserves are not enough. Wildlife needs space, connectivity and the ability to move across the landscape - for food, breeding, migration and climate resilience.
This land is more than just a nature reserve; it’s a stepping stone, helping to link fragmented wetlands together and allowing species to spread and survive. Bringing it into conservation management will strengthen that network and protect a site already bursting with life.
Rare species to protect and encourage
This land is already a thriving haven for wildlife - a rare example of a wetland that still functions as it should. Its patchwork of damp meadows, willow-lined ditches and seasonal floodwaters supports an incredible range of species.
Birds
Lapwings still return to breed here, with curlews still clinging on nearby. Buying the land offers the chance to provide a secure home for these iconic species, as well as opening up new opportunities for others, like shelducks and little ringed plovers, which occasionally breed on the marsh. Winter floods attract thousands of teals and wigeon along with nationally important numbers of pintails.
Classic wetland species like ospreys, redshanks, marsh harriers and common cranes have been recorded passing through while little and great white egrets are increasingly common here. It’s not all about watery wildlife, though, and year-round residents like yellowhammers, skylarks and barn owls rely on the hedgerows and meadows for breeding and feeding space.
Invertebrates
The ditches and meadows are alive with colour and motion. Damselflies - including beautiful demoiselles, azure and common blues - flit between flowering margins whilst emperor dragonflies, brown hawkers and marbled white butterflies patrol sunny clearings.
Mammals
Otters use the drainage ditches as safe hunting routes. Brown hares, harvest mice and field voles inhabit the meadows and margins. There’s also hope that water voles may still persist along quieter streambanks.
Amphibians and reptiles
Frogs, toads and great crested newts are present in the site’s ponds. Grass snakes can often be seen basking or hunting in these sun-warmed wetlands. Deadwood and long grass away from fields that flood provide ideal hibernation spots.
Plants
Floodplain flora includes great burnet, angelica and rarer species such as pepper saxifrage, corky-fruited water dropwort and the scarce narrow-leaved water dropwort. Yellow flag iris, reeds and amphibious bistort line the wetter margins. Patches of drier grassland host common spotted orchids and a range of classic hay meadow plants.
Curlew by Andy Morffew
Common toads by Linda Pitkin/2020VISION
Beautiful demoiselle by Guy Edwardes/2020VISION
Kingfisher by Rebekah Nash
Otter by Amy Lewis
What your donation will achieve
With your help, we will:
- Purchase the land and bring it into long-term conservation management
- Maintain and enhance its existing habitats through light-touch management
- Support priority species with targeted, sensitive care
- Carry out ecological surveys and ongoing monitoring
- Engage local volunteers and inspire people to get involved in caring for this site
What it will cost
Thanks to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the land has been temporarily secured on our behalf through their land purchase loan scheme. Now, with your help, we need to raise £325,000 to secure and care for it:
We’ll raise this through a combination of public donations, charitable grants, corporate support and contributions from the Trust. Every donation brings us closer.
Help us protect Worcestershire’s wetlands - forever
This is a rare and urgent opportunity to protect one of Worcestershire’s most iconic wetland landscapes. With your support, we can secure this special place for wildlife, create stronger links between nature reserves and ensure more people experience the beauty and richness of wetland habitats.
Donate now and double your impact
The first £20,000 in donations will be matched pound for pound but every donation matters, whether matched or not.
Please donate by the end of August to help us secure this land!