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The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Attenborough Nature Reserve By Erin McDaid The relationship between the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, a partner in the UK's fastest growing conservation charity, The Wildlife Trusts, and the gravel pits alongside the River Trent at Attenborough on the outskirts of Nottingham is long and complex. For over forty years the paths of the charity and the former gravel workings have been inseparable and 2003 was a pivotal year in the history of both. One of the catalysts which led to the establishment of the Nottinghamshire Trust for Nature Conservation, which went on to become the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, was public concern, back in the 1960's, over the future of a series of lagoons at Attenborough. These formed part of an active sand and gravel quarry where excavations had started three decades earlier, in the late 1920's. As more and more minerals were extracted many areas of open water were created. Most of the soil which was removed in order to reach the valuable sand and gravel beneath the surface had been deposited back into the water filled pits, creating a patchwork of lagoons and islands. This patchwork proved to be an ideal habitat for a wide range of wild creatures. The lagoons provided sanctuary for all manner of water birds and the islands became a source of food, shelter and freedom from disturbance at a time when many areas of natural habitat were being damaged and destroyed.
Children from Cherry Trees School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, at the Attenborough Nature Reserve, Nottinghamshire (with David Bellamy) at the start of The Blake Shield BNA Awards 2003. Photo © Michael Demidecki. Wildlife recording at the site, seven kilometres south-west of Nottingham City Centre, began as long ago as 1944 and interest in the site grew as its stature as a wildlife area developed. When proposals to fill many of the lagoons with fuel ash from a nearby power station were put forward in the 1960's local people decided to stand up to protect the site and its wildlife. As a result, a vigorous campaign to safeguard the site was established with the support of naturalists from other parts of the county. The proposals to fill in the lagoons coincided with an important period in the development of the conservation movement in the UK, as concern over the loss of wildlife habitats in many areas reached a watershed. During the 1960's a number of new voluntary groups dedicated to protecting wildlife in their local area were established by keen local naturalists and people who cared about the local environment. This groundswell of concern, combined with the focussed efforts to prevent the in-filling of the lagoons led at Attenborough, in part, to the establishment of the group that would eventually become the county's Wildlife Trust. Following the public outcry the gravel pits at Attenborough were saved and in 1966 it became a nature reserve when it was opened, rather appropriately by David Attenborough. Although the nature reserve was established almost four decades ago, the fact remains that it forms a residual part of Attenborough Quarry and is a direct consequence of over 70 years extraction of sand and gravel from the River Trent Washlands. Over the years the Trust and the voluntary management committee, who help to run the site, have worked closely with the companies who have operated it. Today the site is owned and managed by RMC Aggregates (Eastern) Ltd, part of the RMC Group and the Trust works closely with the company to ensure that the competing demands of wildlife conservation and commercial mineral extraction are kept in balance. The quarrying industry has made significant provision of raw materials from which much of the infrastructure of Nottingham has been built. Whether found in house, hospital or highway the products of the industry are very visible. Quarry workings are also visible, located as they are in areas of open countryside, and there is understandable public interest in the nature and outcome of the activities. For these reasons, restoration of the quarry and its after use form part of the planning process and the company views it as both a legal and social responsibility to apply sound environmental practices both during and after the extraction period as an integral part of its operations. At Attenborough, RMC have endeavoured to reconcile the requirements of the visiting public with the needs of resident wildlife whilst sustaining its commercial activities, visible in the form of barges which pass through the reserve carrying aggregates to the nearby processing plant. The site is extremely popular with visitors who come to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the site and its wildlife and the Trust has long held ambitions to develop a range of educational and visitor facilities on site. Attenborough Nature Reserve Today The site is the most extensive and diverse wildlife area in the Borough and attracts large numbers of visitors. Its popularity brings with it attendant problems of litter, vandalism and dumping of rubbish and the local council has been at the forefront of efforts to improve the facilities on offer. The Council has been involved in projects such as the creation of the site's main car park and works with RMC to ensure that it is properly maintained. The cost of keeping the car park tidy is now shared between RMC and the Council. The site is also now protected through the council's Local Plan as well as through its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Furthermore the local authority has invested £100,000 in order to provide improved path networks, signage and visitor information thanks to grants from a range of sources such as The European Social Fund and the Countryside Agency. Efforts to improve the site for wildlife have also been boosted recently thanks to a major award of almost £160,000 from the RMC Environment Fund. This money came from a grant-giving fund that passes over around £3 million of funding per year to environmental and community based projects through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. |
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 The new reed bed Photo © Michael Demidecki |
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The benefits of a partnership approach to managing the site were illustrated when Broxtowe Borough Council committed to making the 10% independent third party contribution necessary to release the landfill tax credits granted by the RMC Environment Fund. This has enabled the implementation of a new management plan and a host of habitat improvements including the construction of a new reed bed to help provide habitat for species such as otters, water voles and in the long-term perhaps even the elusive bittern. The funding has also supported species monitoring and surveying and water quality management to help safeguard the integrity of the wetland habitats. This investment will help to safeguard the wildlife value of the reserve and contribute to the delivery of priority habitat and species action plans identified in both the UK and Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Action Plans. The Trust had long held ambition to improve the facilities for visitors, especially groups visiting from schools and other educational establishments. Thanks to further support from the RMC Environment Fund the Trust was able to undertake a feasibility study into the possibility of developing new facilities and subsequently to commission Groundworks Architects to draw up plans for an exciting new centre. The Trust was convinced that in addition to increasing the enjoyment for visitors who come to the site, new facilities at the Attenborough Nature Reserve would also benefit the wider community in Broxtowe and beyond. In order to ensure that the new facilities met the expectations of the local community the Trust consulted widely on the options for the types of centre which should be built and what facilities it should contain. Back in April the Trust held an exhibition in the local library to publicise the plans prior to submitting a full planning application. Dreams becoming reality Thanks to the support of RMC, Broxtowe Borough Council and other partners The Trust's ambitious plans to develop a visitor centre to complement the wildlife habitats of the Attenborough site started to become a reality in the summer of 2003. Planning permission for the centre was granted in July and work to prepare the new site commenced in September. By December when nominees for the Blake Shield Awards visited the area the foundations had been installed and the site was being readied for the siting of the steel framework that would form the heart of the building. Professor David Bellamy, President of the Wildlife Trusts, joined representatives of the British Naturalists' Association and the Blake Shield Awards on a guided tour of the construction site. They were informed about the facilities it will contain, the environmentally sustainable techniques employed in its construction and the features which will help to reduce the buildings energy consumption and running cost once it opens for business. A haven for wildlife & people Since recording began in 1944, over 250 species of birds have been sighted at Attenborough, from swans and starlings, to the elusive kingfisher and the even rarer bittern. The site is particularly noted for the wide range of waterfowl that can be found. Many species are migrants passing through on their way to spend the winter in warmer climates. Others return to their breeding grounds here each spring. In 1982, the site was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the importance of its 'over-wintering' waterfowl population, particularly pochard and shoveler. Other wildlife includes foxes, stoats, toads, newts, and many species of butterfly, moth and other invertebrates. The network of islands and paths is home to a wide range of trees, shrubs and wildflowers such as water forget-me-not, which grows at the water's edge. Recently otters have been recorded in the Attenborough area and in the future it is hoped they will establish a breeding population. In addition to being a haven for wildlife, the site is very popular with visitors, many of whom come to enjoy the wildlife or simply to relax in the peaceful surroundings of the nature reserve. Within the gravel pit complex there are a number of areas set aside for activities such as sailing and water sports, horse riding and fishing and the many public rights of way are well used. The various pressures placed upon the site are managed to protect its wildlife value. One of the most interesting areas of the site in terms of wildlife is the area called Delta Pond. This was formed by managing the silt washed from extracted gravel at the processing plant. A stream carrying the silt was guided to areas between islands and over the years this created an area of low-lying land which has been colonised by reeds and willow trees. Now, the vegetation has matured to form woodland consisting mainly of crack willow, alder and osiers, which are coppiced and used to make wattle fencing panels. Silt from the works is currently forming the 'beach' that can be seen in Works Pond. The reed-fringed shallow water around the edge of the Delta is favoured by dabbling ducks such as mallard, gadwall, shoveler, and Britain's smallest duck, the teal. The reeds provide a habitat for another summer visitor, the reed warbler, which builds its cylindrical nest supported by the vertical reed stems. The reed warbler's nest is one of those favoured by the cuckoo, a bird that arrives in late April/early May, mates and lays single eggs in several nests. By mid-July, the adults are departing south to 'overwinter' in Africa, whilst the young fledglings make their own way, a few weeks later. Many species of damselfly and dragonfly breed in still or slow moving water, and can be seen on the wing or perched on vegetation. They spend most of their lives as predatory nymphs feeding in the water, but emerge during spring or summer as brightly coloured adults to mate and lay eggs. One of the earliest damselflies to emerge is the banded demoiselle, easily recognized by the purple patches on the male's wings. Other damselflies seen on the Reserve include azure, blue-tailed, emerald and the red-eyed damselfly that likes to bask on lily pads. The larger more spectacular dragonflies include the common brown hawker, southern hawker, and the migrant hawker that is often seen on sunny days through to the end of September. Towards a brighter future The major investment in both the wildlife habitats and the new facilities being developed on site, combined with the ongoing partnership between the Trust, the local council and the site owners should mean that the reserve has a bright future. Another factor in the site's development that will be crucial to its future is the involvement of local people in its management. Over the past forty or so years, local people have consistently helped to shape both the physical nature of the site, through involvement with practical habitat management work, and its future destiny through representation on the Attenborough Management Committee. The scope for local people to play a part in the future of the site looks set to increase with new opportunities for involvement in the running of the centre and new education and event programmes once the facilities are up and running. At the time of writing the construction work is on schedule and we hope to have the new centre up and running by the end of October this year and efforts to recruit appropriate staff to manage the centre and its programmes are currently underway. The Trust is excited by the prospect of opening what will be its first visitor centre, providing us with an opportunity to meet with the public face to face on a regular basis. This should help us to recruit more members and volunteers as we embark on the next forty years of our efforts to safeguard the wildlife of the County.
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