Nature reserve aims to raise £500k to improve site

The Catcott wetland habitat is home to "countless species"

A nature reserve is hoping to raise more than £500,000 to improve the site for both visitors and wildlife.

Catcott Nature Reserve, in Somerset, is home to at-risk bird species including lapwing, snipe, and curlew.

It says £535,000 would allow it to replace a bird hide, improve path surfacing and make repairs to bridges and boardwalks.

Somerset Wildlife Trust, which manages the reserve, said if it were are able to extend the wetland habitat it could "help countless species to thrive, migrate, and overwinter".

It is hoping to purchase six hectares of land, allowing it to connect two separate areas of the reserve, which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, by both land and water.

A spokesperson for the trust said connecting separate areas of the reserve would "create essential wildlife corridors", which in turn would boost species resilience and diversity.

The money raised would also contribute to expanding the shallow pool habitats, known as scrape, "providing richer feeding and breeding grounds for birds and supporting vulnerable species", said the trust.

The landscape, which is made up of hay meadows, wet woodland, grassland, and fen, also provides habitats for otters, water voles and the European eel.

Otters can be seen on Catcott Nature Reserve

The trust also hopes to make the whole reserve more accessible, including replacing "the ageing Lows bird hide with a spacious, accessible wildlife lookout", the spokesperson said.

The money would also go towards resurfacing the car park and track, and repairing or replacing the bridges and boardwalk.

The spokesperson added: "Catcott now needs significant investment to expand, improve and future-proof it for wildlife."