Wiltshire wildlife sites project

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County Wildlife Sites are areas of land of recognised value for wildlife, which fall outside the legal protection given to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Wiltshire Wildlife Sites Project identifies, designates and monitors County Wildlife Sites and, to date, over 1,500 such sites in have been designated in Wiltshire. The sites are selected against a robust set of habitat and species criteria. These sites provide a vital network of threatened habitats such as chalk grassland, ancient woodland, hay meadows and wetlands, and act as reservoirs of declining animal and plant species.

Wiltshire Council together with other project partners, including the Wiltshire and Swindon Biological Record Centre, Swindon Borough Council and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust manage the project.

The aims of the Wildlife Sites Project are to:

• Identify all the important sites for wildlife in the county and survey each of them every few years;
• Develop a working relationship with the owners and managers of all Wildlife Sites, providing information about the importance of their sites for wildlife;
• Encourage management that will conserve and enhance the value of sites for wildlife and offer advice and assistance with obtaining grant-aid for such management;
• Work alongside other bodies to attempt to halt the decline in wildlife habitats and to enhance wild spaces in the wider countryside.

Through these activities, the project supports the implementation of the Wiltshire Biodiversity Action Plan by collecting information on the distribution, condition and management of priority habitats and species.

For more information, please contact the Wiltshire Wildlife Sites Project Officer, Rob Large.

Last updated: 17 February 2011