[Chris Monk]

Trust launches appeal to buy land

An appeal to buy 47 acres of land to extend a nature reserve was this week launched by Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT).

The trust currently owns 44 acres of the unique 124-acre Market Weston Fen, but a legacy from David Feavearyear has put the purchase of a further area of fen almost within the trust's reach.

It now needs £40,000 to complete the purchase of the fen land, which is an internationally important wildlife site.

The trust says it is one of the finest fens in East Anglia and Suffolk's best site for the rare white form of southern marsh orchid.

With more than 250 flowering plants, 20 species of butterfly and 200 types of moth, it is also a UK site of special scientific interest and a European Special Area of Conservation.

The trust's Steve Aylward said: "Extending our existing nature reserves is a high priority for the trust and this is a brilliant opportunity to buy a further pocket of a precious fen to create a 91-acre nature reserve."

As well as increasing the area of wildlife habitat, enlarging the nature reserve will help to secure the site's hydrology and give the fen a more stable future.

To help double the size of the reserve, call 01473 890089 or log on to the SWT website, www.suffolkwildlife.co.uk
15 November 2006