Dorset Wildlife Trust
Encyclopedia
The Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is a wildlife trust
covering the county of Dorset
, United Kingdom
. The Trust was originally founded in 1961 to protect and conserve the wildlife and natural habitats of the county. The Trust is headquartered at Brooklands Farm, just north of Dorchester. DWT has 26,000 members, has some 55 staff, over 850 active volunteers, and runs 42 nature reserve
s totalling over 12 square kilometres, which include 23 sites of special scientific interest.
Most of the reserves are owned by the Trust, but some are also leased under agreements with landowners. The reserves represent 1,300 hectares of prime habitat managed for the benefit of wildlife and supporting local and regional biodiversity. The Trust's diverse collection of reserves reflect the natural diversity of the geologically and habitat rich southern English county of Dorset. The wide variety of landscapes includes chalk grasslands, ancient meadows, prime woodland, internationally important rare heathland, valuable wetlands, and a section of the World Heritage listed Jurassic Coast. According to the Trust, more than 200,000 visitors visit their reserves each year.
The Trust currently also has six wildlife education and outreach centres around the county (Purbeck
Marine Wildlife Reserve, Kingcombe Meadows, Lorton Meadows, Brownsea Island
, Urban Wildlife Centre, and Brooklands Farm itself).
The conservation, education, and community partnership work of the Dorset Wildlife Trust extends beyond the designated Nature Reserves. DWT also runs a series of special projects headed by conservation staff working with groups of volunteer members and supporter groups throughout the county. They are involved in monitoring and improving habitats for wildlife not only in the open countryside, rivers and coastal waters but also in urban and suburban environments, churchyards, and roadside verges.
A core aim of the Trust, in conjunction with Wildlife Trusts throughout Britain, is actively to promote and set up 'Living Landscapes', wildlife corridors, nectar-rich links, etc.
The Wildlife Trusts partnership
The Wildlife Trusts is an organisation made up of 47 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom plus the Isle of Man and Alderney.The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after around 2,300 nature reserves covering more than 90,000 hectares...
covering the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The Trust was originally founded in 1961 to protect and conserve the wildlife and natural habitats of the county. The Trust is headquartered at Brooklands Farm, just north of Dorchester. DWT has 26,000 members, has some 55 staff, over 850 active volunteers, and runs 42 nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
s totalling over 12 square kilometres, which include 23 sites of special scientific interest.
Most of the reserves are owned by the Trust, but some are also leased under agreements with landowners. The reserves represent 1,300 hectares of prime habitat managed for the benefit of wildlife and supporting local and regional biodiversity. The Trust's diverse collection of reserves reflect the natural diversity of the geologically and habitat rich southern English county of Dorset. The wide variety of landscapes includes chalk grasslands, ancient meadows, prime woodland, internationally important rare heathland, valuable wetlands, and a section of the World Heritage listed Jurassic Coast. According to the Trust, more than 200,000 visitors visit their reserves each year.
The Trust currently also has six wildlife education and outreach centres around the county (Purbeck
Purbeck
Purbeck is a local government district in Dorset, England. The district is named after the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula that forms a large proportion of the district's area. However the district extends significantly further north and west than the traditional boundary of the Isle of Purbeck along...
Marine Wildlife Reserve, Kingcombe Meadows, Lorton Meadows, Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole...
, Urban Wildlife Centre, and Brooklands Farm itself).
The conservation, education, and community partnership work of the Dorset Wildlife Trust extends beyond the designated Nature Reserves. DWT also runs a series of special projects headed by conservation staff working with groups of volunteer members and supporter groups throughout the county. They are involved in monitoring and improving habitats for wildlife not only in the open countryside, rivers and coastal waters but also in urban and suburban environments, churchyards, and roadside verges.
A core aim of the Trust, in conjunction with Wildlife Trusts throughout Britain, is actively to promote and set up 'Living Landscapes', wildlife corridors, nectar-rich links, etc.