BASCOTE ROAD SCRUBS COMMUNITY NATURE RESERVE
After over a year of planning and discussion, the parish of Long Itchington now has its own dedicated nature reserve. This is a ‘community nature reserve’ where members of the community young and old are provided with the opportunity to get close to nature and undertake practical nature conservation tasks. This nature reserve is new and will take many years to reach its full potential, but with the help of the community it can be achieved. This reserve has been provided for the whole parish including Bascote, Bascote Heath, Model Village and Snowford Hill as well as the residents of Long Itchington.
Education forms a large part of what this nature reserve is all about, providing a resource that is accessible to all and benefits both the community and wildlife. The use of planned activities on the site will give everyone the chance to make a positive contribution to the local wildlife in safe and enjoyable surroundings.
Plan below shows how the reserve will eventually look:
If you wish to know more or would like to get involved please contact us.
Though the nature reserve is a work in progress and access restricted until it is suitable for the public. A small part of the nature trail through the reserve is now open, for everyone to enjoy. The reserve will make a great place to experience nature and enjoy our local wildlife.
Updates on progress at the reserve can be found on the Long Itchington Wildlife’s Facebook page.
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An opportunity presented itself to ask Chris Packham, naturalist and TV presenter, about Long Itchington and its relationship with wildlife. This is the answer he gave:
“[wildlife] has the instantaneous ability to enhance the quality of [people’s] life. It can be fascinating, it can be beautiful, it can actually play an active role in the quality of their life, [so] it can be a healthy one, mentally and physically.
“A sense of ownership is really important in a community. We are all best disposed to look after our own patch because that’s where the heart should be and if you can get the hearts of your parishioners to beat more passionately then they will look after it with a greater degree of care.
“So you have got to get them out there. You have got to get them dirty.”
