Dear Warren Farm Nature Reserve supporter,
TOGETHER, WE DID IT! WarrenFarmNR has been officially declared a statutory Local Nature Reserve!
The update that we dreamed of one day writing to you has landed! We are THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE that THANKS TO THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT YOU HAVE SHOWN our Rewilded Grassland and Wildflower Meadow, ALL 61 acres (24.8 hectares) of ‘Warren Farm Nature Reserve’ are now PROTECTED WITH LOCAL NATURE RESERVE (LNR) DESIGNATION!
What’s SO BRILLIANT about LNR designations is that they safeguard, manage and enhance biodiversity-rich habitats securing them from development whilst also providing educational, physical and wellbeing health benefits to us humans. A TRUE WIN-WIN for all! LNR is a commitment to nature conservation AND for our community to experience and enjoy wildlife on their doorstep.
It goes without saying, our WarrenFarmNR Team and Brent River Park Charity want to extend a HUGE HEARTFELT THANK YOU to YOU, our 26,300 plus petition signatories, our volunteers, our local experts, the notable wildlife charities and conservationists who kindly gave us statements of support, to the supporting political parties and the many national and local groups that have been with us since the beginning. You signed and shared our petition, you turned up to our family-friendly protest carrying banners, you shared your wildlife photos with us, you joined our walks and talks, you cared… together you helped us give a voice to the voiceless, and now when we hear our Skylarks sing the fear of losing them has been replaced with the joy of knowing their home is safe!
We also commend Ealing Council for joining us all in recognising our rewilded meadow habitat’s IMMENSE ECOLOGICAL VALUE. With less than 2% of Wildflower Meadow habitats left in the UK, their action of giving us LNR designation marks a significant step in Ealing and London’s environmental conservation. Although the journey has not been a straight path with bumps along the way, we thank the Council for listening to the strength of support for our campaign and for ultimately making a decision that safeguards our beloved #WarrenFarmNR for future generations (of both humans and wildlife!).
‘Warren Farm Nature Reserve’ has taken root! THANK YOU so much from our #WarrenFarmNR team, Brent River Park Charity, singing Skylarks, Butterflies, Clovers, Owls, Hedgehogs and so many more! #WatchThisGreenSpace
Please do read our Blog Post in full for more details and to watch BBC London News Coverage by clicking here...
WARRENFARMNR BLOG with YOUTUBE LINKS
BUT WAIT! Does this mean we are now closing our petition? Ealing Council back in April 2022 APPROVED WarrenFarmNR’s SURROUNDING FOUR BRENT RIVER PARK MEADOWS (Jubilee Meadow, Blackberry Corner, Trumpers Field and Fox Meadow) to ALSO RECEIVE LNR DESIGNATION as part of our campaign, which we are DELIGHTED TO SAY IS IN PROGRESS, our petition will remain OPEN to keep you updated. So, with Warren Farm Nature Reserve now official there is yet MORE positive nature news yet to share as we continue on our connected Meadow habitats journey, creating more vital wildlife corridors! All thanks to your on-going support!
We would not have made it this far without each and every one of you, and if our abundance of wildlife could thank you themselves, they would! THANK YOU!
Team #WarrenFarmNR
(We please ask visitors to our officially declared Warren Farm Nature Reserve to KEEP TO THE MAIN PATHS between 1st March and 15th September and keep dogs under close control while our Skylarks are breeding. Skylarks nest on the ground, so keeping to the main paths and avoiding creating shortcuts helps protect their eggs and chicks from harm. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to damage or destroy an active bird’s nest. Incoming byelaws are going to be put in place to provide greater protection for our feathered friends.)
Did you know you can follow us on Twitter / Instagram / BlueSky @WarrenFarmNR and on our ‘Warren Farm Nature Reserve’ Facebook group.
You can also follow our charity @BrentRiverPark and sign-up to become a FREE member by visiting BrentRiverPark.org to discover more about this 7km incredible park in which Warren Farm Nature Reserve resides, made up of connected green spaces linked by the River Brent.
Pls note - donations made through the Change.org petition do not go to Warren Farm Nature Reserve or the Brent River Park charity. However, donations do allow Change.org to find like-minded people to support petitions, thereby reaching more supporters of nature. Thank you!