Nature Recovery Fund
Help us to raise £1 million for vital conservation work - together we can bring back Lincolnshire’s wildlife.
Over the last 75 years, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has saved wildlife and wild spaces across the county. We are proud of what has been achieved, and there are many species that would not exist in Lincolnshire today were it not for our work.
But whilst there have been many inspiring successes over the years, we have also continued to lose wildlife from the wider countryside at an alarming rate, people are increasingly disconnected from nature and the climate crisis is starting to be felt ever more keenly on our doorstep.
That is why, to coincide with our 75th anniversary, we are launching the largest and most urgent appeal in our history.
We know £1 million is an ambitious target but if our Nature Recovery Fund is to make a real difference before it's too late then - like our founder Ted Smith back in 1948 - we need to think bigger.
In this, our 75th year, we are asking you to please answer nature’s SOS. The declines in wildlife and people’s disconnect from nature have never been more stark.Paul LearoydChief Executive, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
What will the money go towards?
The funds that we raise will go towards supporting four key areas of our work – nature, climate, land and people. These represent the four pillars of our work in Lincolnshire.
Nature
Nearly half of all the UK’s species are in decline and we are one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Lincolnshire is no different and our wildlife locally is under huge pressure from intensive land use.
We’ve protected natterjack toads and little terns on the coast for decades and recently saw the return of species such as bittern and crane to breed in the county again. By donating to the Nature Recovery Fund, you can support us to bring back lost species and help others to thrive once more.
Land
We know that land is one of the most important things we can buy. Over the years, our purchases and management agreements have allowed us to create nearly 100 nature reserves across the county. These reserves are now home to many of Lincolnshire's birds, mammals, insects and plants, and are the last refuges for some of our rarest and most threatened species. But our reserves need to be bigger and more robust, and we need to find ways to link them better. The Nature Recovery Fund will allow us to take advantage of opportunities to add land in a strategic way and unlock match funding from other sources.
Climate
Our climate is in crisis. Wildlife is struggling to cope with hotter drier periods and more intense storms and wetter winters. Species are already being impacted – for example, the earlier emergence of caterpillars means that migrant birds are struggling to time their breeding to match.
Lincolnshire is a diverse county with a range of habitats. Many of these, such as our saltmarshes and extensive peatlands, store huge amounts of carbon. However, many have been degraded, releasing those stores of carbon back into the atmosphere. Protecting what we have left and restoring damaged habitats so that they can lock carbon away is critical to our response to climate change.
At the same time, the fragmentation of habitats makes wildlife more susceptible to the changing climate - giving species less room to move in times of drought, flooding or fire. We need to restore and link up woodlands, wetlands and floodplains to create a wilder landscape that helps nature to adapt and thrive.
People
We all need nature for our health and wellbeing but nature needs us too. With your support, we can empower local people to help bring nature back. Our Nextdoor Nature Project has already made a fantastic start but with your help, we can expand this to help even more communities across Lincolnshire to make a difference to the wildlife on their doorstep.
At the same time, we want to enable more people to work with us towards nature’s recovery. We need to increase the number of new people coming into the sector from all backgrounds and across all areas of our work - from conservation to education to community work. The Trust has a fantastic track record in this area and with your help, we can continue to develop our traineeships to support the next generation of conservationists.
Help nature recover
