Appeal to save ‘magical’ Strawberry Hill hideaway

An accidental conservation project that has provided homes for threatened species such as nightingales “must be protected”, according to a local wildlife trust.

Before the term “reclamation” became popular, Strawberry Hill Farm in north Bedfordshire was given over to nature, resulting in a haven for birds and animals.

The Beds, Cambs and Northants Wildlife Trust said the site had one of the highest concentrations of turtle doves, turtles and nightingales in the country.

“Strawberry Hill is a magical place. When I first set foot there I knew we had to save it,” said chief executive Brian Eversham, as the trust launched an appeal to raise money to buy the land.

The trust has leased the reserve from 2022 and has raised £1 million to buy the southern part. It now wants to raise a further £1.5m to secure the rest of the site.

At 150 hectares (371 acres), he said Strawberry Hill was the largest area of ​​bush and new woodland in central England but had “no formal designation or protection”.

“There is so much potential for wild animals to spread from this site and recolonize the surrounding countryside,” said Mr. Eversham.

Agriculture, housing and infrastructure have dramatically affected species across the UKwith a 97% decline in the number of pigeons and a 90% decline in whistlers.

After the farm retreated and nature took its course, a “unique area” of meadows and scrub emerged in a county where only 1.2% of the land is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

“Strawberry Hill is an oasis in an otherwise nature-depleted area,” the trust said.

“Bedfordshire is one of the most intensively farmed counties in the UK.”

It makes more sense to preserve the site than to create a new one from scratch, he said.

“Strawberry Hill is the kind of place you can’t reproduce in a short space of time. It took 35 years to make it what it is today.

“It is truly a beacon of hope in one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.”