Partnerships information
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
Our work
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is the leading local environmental charity that has worked to protect and enhance wildlife, natural habitat and geology throughout Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull since 1970. A key part of the work of the Trust is to encourage a greater awareness, appreciation and participation in all aspects of the nature conservation and the environment within the people of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull as well as with visitors to the county.
Our staff
In order to both protect and enhance local wildlife and habitats and to engage with people, the Trust’s staff have a wide range of skills and knowledge. We are fortunate that we have previously received Heritage Lottery Funding through the Landscape Partnership, Skills for the Future, Our Heritage and Young Roots programmes and have experience of delivering projects on this scale, to time and on budget. We have trained conservation staff who are able to produce and deliver suitable management for the site, supported by the Habitat Biodiversity Audit team. We have a dedicated education team that delivers a wide range of education activities to pre-school and primary aged children, through formal curriculum focussed school trips to informal drop in sessions and holiday workshops. We also have a youth engagement officer who works with young people aged 16 to 25 in a range of outdoor settings. We also have an increasing range of community engagement activities for people of all ages led by a wildlife engagement officer offering opportunities to visit our nature reserves, volunteer to help with management of the nature reserves, learn new practical skills, and learn to identify new species. We also have specialist marketing staff who are able to promote these activities through a variety of different outlets in order to reach both existing and new audiences. We also have a fundraising team who are able to ensure sufficient match funds are available for the project to go ahead.
Our volunteers and Trustees
We have over 1000 active volunteers helping with the aims and objectives of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, working in the visitor centres, welcoming people on reserves, working on reserves, helping run education sessions and at events, and helping with governance through being a Trustee.
Our partners
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust works with a great many partners both in formal partnerships and more informal partnerships. We have excellent working relations with the local county council and the separate district and borough councils, as well as special interest groups such as Warwickshire Bat Group, Warwickshire Dormouse Conservation Group and Warwickshire Geological Conservation Group.
Working at a landscape scale
The delivery of the Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape project meets Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes objectives working at a landscape scale to join up habitats rather than working on isolated sites, allowing wildlife to move between habitats, reducing isolation between populations, and in turn reducing the chance of local extinction and providing a buffer against the effects of climate change.
The Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape area has been identified as a priority area by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. The Princethorpe Woodlands area includes at least 24 sites of wildlife interest. There are 20 woodlands covering 618 ha and representing more than 10 % of the whole of Warwickshire’s ancient woodland, including five managed by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust – Ryton Wood, Wappenbury Wood, Old Nun Wood, Brandon Marsh Nature Centre, and our most recent acquisition, Bubbenhall Wood and Meadow. Working with many local partners, the 50 year vision for the area is "An ancient wooded landscape connected by a network of hedgerows, rich in wildlife and accessible to all".
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust was instrumental in setting up the Princethorpe Woodlands Partnership in 2004 in order to develop co-operative woodland management on a landscape scale, through active management of woodlands for the benefit of wildlife and people, including the production of wood fuels for use in local communities, woodland management skills training, and improvements to public access.
Coombe Country Park, Coventry City Council,
Coombe Country Park is designated as an historic landscape, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Local Wildlife Site. The 500 acres of gardens, woodlands and lakeside walks were acquired by the City Council in 1964 and has been managed since then as a valuable recreational and educational resource for people from the local area and beyond.
Management of the site focuses on three key areas: Visitor Services, Historic Landscape, and Nature Conservation.
Coombe Country Park is an award winning site with many accolades for its quality and excellence in management, conservation, visitor experience and education including SSSI status for 40 years, Green Flag ( parks and green spaces excellence award), Visit England's VAQAS award (a sign of quality assured visitor attraction) and Natural England's Country Park accreditation.
www.coventry.gov.uk/coombe
Friends of Brandon Wood
Brandon Wood lies about 6 km east of Coventry and covers a total area of 178 acres. It was quoted in the Doomsday Book as woodland in 1086 and is now a designated Planted Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS). Put up for sale by the Forestry Commission in 1979 with its future use uncertain, the wood was saved by local people who formed together to create Friends of Brandon Wood, and in January 2000 the woodland passed into the ownership of the Friends of Brandon Wood and is now managed by the Trustees.
Since 1981 it has been maintained and improved by voluntary workers from the Friends of Brandon Wood and is now reverting to natural broad-leaved woodland. Since passing into the ownership of the Friends of Brandon Wood a circular footpath has been completed allowing all-weather all ability walking, training of volunteers in coppicing, hedge laying and other woodland skills have been undertaken.
Nationally, it is the first designated Community Woodland. Links with conservation bodies have been strengthened and a pack has been compiled for the two local primary schools to inform them about their woodland.
http://www.brandonwood.org.uk/
Natural England
Natural England is the government’s adviser for the natural environment in England, helping to protect England’s nature and landscapes for people to enjoy and for the services they provide.
They have 2,000 staff in offices throughout England, with a head office in York.
Within England, Natural England is responsible for:
· promoting nature conservation and protecting biodiversity
· conserving and enhancing the landscape
· securing the provision and improvement of facilities for the study, understanding and enjoyment of the natural environment, e.g. new tower hide at Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve
· promoting access to the countryside and open spaces and encouraging open-air recreation
· contributing in other ways to social and economic well-being through management of the natural environment, e.g. changes to wildlife licensing to improve flexibility for developers.
From 2014 to 2019, Natural England’s priorities are:
· terrestrial biodiversity
· marine biodiversity
· landscape and geodiversity
· access and engagement
· environmental land management
· National Nature Reserves
· support to the planning system
· wildlife management
· evidence
· corporate services
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england
Rugby Borough Council
Rugby Borough Council is one of the 5 local authorities within Warwickshire. The borough has a population of just over 100,000. Of these, over 65,000 live in the town of Rugby, with the remainder living in the rural settlements such as Princethorpe.
The corporate strategy is currently being updated but the vison for 2026 is Rugby in 2026 will be a place where all sections of the community have worked together to create a Borough where people are proud to live, work and visit.
It will be a borough where:
· All sections of the community are able to access the services they need and are able to influence and be involved in community life.
· People are safe and also feel safe
· People are able to maintain a healthy lifestyle but also have access to excellent health and welfare services should they require them.
· Children and young people are able to enjoy their youth while contributing positively to community life.
· The local economy is prosperous and everyone is able to achieve a good quality of life.
· The local environment is attractive and clean and the borough’s impact on the global environment has been significantly reduced.
· Suitable housing is available for all sections of the community.
· The borough’s priority neighbourhoods have been significantly improved and there are no significant areas of deprivation.
· A suitable and integrated transport network is in place that supports the local economy, meets the needs of all sections of the community and minimises damage to the environment.
https://www.rugby.gov.uk/
Warwick District Council
Warwick District Council provides a wide range of local services alongside Warwickshire County Council.
The vision agreed for Warwick District in the Sustainable Community Strategy is: “Warwick District, a great place to live, work and visit, where we aspire to build sustainable, safe, stronger and healthier
The council has developed a number of policies and strategies which contribute to its purpose. These include key strategies that relate to the Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape area such as its Tree and Woodlands Strategy. Warwick District Council is committed to a Tree and Woodland Strategy which will: “Initiate and review action to ensure that the District’s trees and woodlands are adequately protected and cared for so that their extent, quality, biological diversity and contribution to the character and appearance of the area can be sustained and enriched for the benefit and enjoyment of the residents and visitors to the district”.
http://www.warwickdc.gov.uk/info/20733/council_policies_and_plans/388/strategies_and_policies
Warwickshire County Council, Ryton Pools Country Park
Ryton Pools Country Park is one of five country parks run by Warwickshire County Council. The 100 acres of Ryton Pools Country Park contains many different habitats that are home to a wide range of birds and other wildlife. The excellent surfaced paths enable easy walking around the site, and provide access to an adjoining Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s ancient woodland, Ryton Wood. There is an education centre on site as well as a café and children’s playgrounds. The Park runs many events and activities for a range of age groups all year round. The Country Park has an apprentice working with the ranger team.
http://countryparks.warwickshire.gov.uk/country-parks/ryton-pools-country-park/