Calderdale wildlife group in plea for help to improve nature reserve

Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group is looking to raise £10,000 so it can start helping the environment.

The cabin used by the charity has not been able to open during the pandemic and no volunteering has gone on since March 2020.

Hayley Cottrell, one of trustees of the wildlife group, said: “Locally no events have been going on, so no fundraising has happened and with our refreshment cabin having to close no money has been made this year apart from membership donations

“I would like to kick-start fundraising for the group to be ready to re-open the cabin area in the summer and get volunteering off to a good start as soon as we can and with the funds to help.”

She money will go towards materials needed for volunteer days. This would include refreshing fences and pathways, building bird boxes, new bird hides and a nicer designed outside cabin space.

Funds will also go towards equipment including new nets for pond dipping and moth/ butterfly surveys, traps for mammal surveys (live traps) and feed for bird feeding areas and barn owls.

The group hopes to expand into a new bigger cabin so it can have more people space, start doing kids’ mornings, and create a local event space for workshops and more educational use in the week.

Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group is dedicated to the development of the nature reserve for the education and enjoyment of all visitors.

The group have planted almost 1,000 trees and bushes, developed a bird feeding area, fitted a screen for photographers and a bench. It has also started removing unwanted trees around the lagoons.