Essex nature reserve scoops Land Trust Awards 2016 prize
National land management charity, the Land Trust has named Canvey Wick Nature Reserve as Winner of the Best Space for Nature category at its annual awards ceremony.
Canvey Wick Nature Reserve, which was previously partially developed as an oil refinery until plans fell through in the 1960s, was acquired by the Land Trust in order to protect the natural biodiversity on the site. It is now managed by Buglife and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in partnership with the Land Trust.
In 2005 the brownfield site on Canvey Island, Southend-on-Sea, was named as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and was the first brownfield site to be protected specifically for its invertebrates.
It is now home to a great amount of wildlife and plants and was dubbed ‘Canvey’s Rainforest’ after scientists discovered that it has as many species per square metre as a rainforest.
This week, in recognition of the site’s remarkable transformation, it was honoured with the prize of Best Space for Nature by the Land Trust at an awards ceremony.
Reflecting on the nature reserve’s success, the Land Trust’s Estates Manager Simon Pile said: “The success of Canvey Wick Nature Reserve as a shining beacon for wildlife, and deserved winner of this award, is a great reflection of a solid, productive partnership between ourselves, the RSPB and Buglife.”
