CELEBRATE THE ISLANDS HEATHLAND HABITATS

Brighstone Forest

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust would like to invite people of all ages to help them celebrate the Island’s Heathland habitats on 12th September 2010 at Brighstone Forest between 11am and 3pm.

The event is part of the West Wight Heathland Restoration Project and will include guided walks, children’s activities and the launch of a heathlands booklet, free to all those who attend. There will be no charge for the event but donations to the project are welcomed.

Richard Grogan, the Wildlife Trust’s Head of Conservation for the Island said ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about this rare Island habitat and how the Wildlife Trust and its partners are helping to restore Island heathlands to their former glory. Birds such as nightjar and Dartford warbler are becoming increasingly scarce as their habitats are lost but this project is turning that around’. Restored sites include the Wildlife Trust’s reserve at Ningwood Common, the National Trust’s site at Mottistone Common and areas of heathland at the Forestry Commission’s sites at Bouldnor and Brighstone. Heathland has increased by an extra 50% since the project started in 2007.

The West Wight Heathland Restoration Project is a partnership including the Wildlife Trust, National Trust, West Wight Landscape Partnership and the Forestry Commission who are hosting the event. Parking for the event is at the Jubilee car park at Mottistone by kind permission of the National Trust.