The History of Cheshire Wildlife Trust
2002 saw the fortieth anniversary year of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. It was fifteen years previously that the Trust last celebrated a birthday. In 1987, 25 years of achievements were acknowledged in a year-long frenzy of events by members of the then titled 'Cheshire Conservation Trust.

At the time, Trust staff and volunteers were housed at Marbury Country Park in a rather dilapidated Portakabin. We had 3,500 members and managed 35 nature reserves. Those first 25 years saw enormous changes. Cheshire Wildlife Trust was formed following a meeting, on the 10th March 1962, of naturalists from the area who were concerned about the rapid changes taking place in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. They knew other counties had formed groups under the umbrella of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves (now The Wildlife Trusts) and wished to do the same.

The Formation of Cheshire Wildlife Trust

The meeting decided two separate Trusts should be formed, one covering Lancashire and the other Cheshire; the boundaries at the time were more straightforward! In the chair for the meeting was Dr Tom Pritchard (who, coincidentally has chaired recent meetings of the Trust). Other attendees included Christopher Cadbury, who chaired the Naturalists Trust Committee at the time, and Desmond Parish who had organised the event.

Following the meeting, Cheshire Conservation Trust was formed on 24th October 1962. On 17th November 1962 our inaugural meeting took place with Professor Alan Gemmell as President. He told those persons present:

"There is a clear threat to wildlife in parts of Cheshire and many plants, insects, birds and fish might become extinct in the county. The pleasure which the countryside gives to many people might be destroyed and the use of the county in many fields of education could become completely impossible."

Professor Gemmell also stated it would be a mistake to regard the Trust's work as reactionary and as standing in the way of progress either in housing or industry. He said:

"We seek to avoid the indiscriminate destruction of amenities and, where possible, the preservation of areas of outstanding importance by cooperation with all other interests."

Staffing Begins

Kenneth Lee was elected Chairman, followed in 1965 by Philip Askey. One of his first tasks was to lead the Trust through the Ringway public enquiry. This venture was to see a small areodrome used mainly by private fliers turn into an international airport (Manchester International). The enquiry heard how the proposed runway would affect the nearby nature reserve called Cotterill Clough as well as the destruction of species-rich meadows, So little has changed!

It was seven years before enough money could be secured to appoint the first paid officer of the Trust: Wing Commander Roy was appointed Administrative Officer. In 1972 Stuart Crooks was appointed as Conservation Officer, charged with negotiations over 13 nature reserves, 15 nature trails and replying to planning application matters. These two appointments started the staffing of the Trust which has, to date, seen over seventy appointments as well as numerous undergraduate placements and dedicated volunteers.

In the last fifteen years, 1991 was probably one of the most eventful for the Trust in that we changed our name to Cheshire Wildlife Trust with an overwhelming vote of 97%. We also moved in December of that year to Grebe House at Reaseheath College of Agriculture. This enabled Trust staff for the first time to work together in the same building, have access to the vast array of expertise available at the College, and have access to toilets that didn't freeze up in the winter! It also brought us into closer contact with FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group) and the Cheshire County Council Ranger Service.

The convenient location of Marbury Country Park in the middle of our county was replaced with the convenience of bricks and mortar. Grebe House was officially opened on 10th March 1992 by HRH the Duke of Gloucester. This marked exactly 30 years since the first meeting of naturalists to discuss the formation of a County Trust.

Ongoing Projects

In 1994, 31 years after the public enquiry into the extension to the aerodrome at Ringway, CWT attended the 2nd Runway Public Enquiry for Manchester Airport. We were the only group representing wildlife issues to attend the enquiry and many man hours and reams of paper were expended on the task. Since then we have continued to be involved through attendance on the Steering Group and the Monitoring Technical Group. Recorders continue to monitor the Sites of Biological Importance (SBI's) around the airport, as they do for the 650 other sites identified through the county of Cheshire, Halton and Warrington.

County-wide Success

Other major events to have occurred in that time include the start and finish of the North West Otters & Rivers Project which enabled ourselves and the Wildlife Trusts in Lancashire and Cumbria to study the presence of this elusive mammal in our areas. The project led to links with new organisations, landowners and land users and former otter hunters. It also provided advice on management for otters to public and private bodies as well as practical, hands-on improvements to riverside habitats. Throughout, the project was driven by the enthusiastic and dedicated Otters & Rivers Project Officer who later became our Water and Wetlands Conservation Officer!

The setting up of the pilot local records centre for England, rECOrd, has seen hundreds of thousands of records inputted into a database covering the vice-county. Countdown, the biodiversity audit for the Cheshire region has been published and reviewed every year since 1997. This has encouraged partnerships between organisations and individuals focusing on key species and habitats, and has led to action being taken by community groups, local authorities, corporate members, institutions and societies, children and adults. This continuing process is an important vehicle for raising awareness in the community as a whole, with the annual review being made available on CD-Rom to all secondary schools in the region, as well as individuals through our website. Several Volunteer Project Officers have spent weeks, months or even years compiling information on specific species and encouraging participation in their future. Barn owls, polecat, dormice and black poplars have all seen Local Biodiversity Action Plan Groups set up in their name to try and ensure their survival.

Acquisitions and Managers

Since 1987, the Trust has acquired 14 more nature reserves and lost one - Hale Duck Decoy. The lease on this privately owned piece of land was not renewed at the end of its term but we are glad to report that Halton Borough Council has recently been successful in negotiating an agreement with the owners to bring it back into nature conservation management. The 14 acquired range from a very small floating bog called Vale Royal Abbey Mire which encompasses 0.4 hectares, to Gowy Meadows, our most recently acquired site which covers 165.8 hectares. Both are important in their own way and it is hoped their inclusion in our land holding will benefit the wildlife dependant upon them.

Managing land has become less arduous since the start of the Heritage Lottery Fund Capital Works Programme that began on 6th December 1999. This project took 22 of our reserves into a five-year management programme and enabled us to employ two Reserve Officers to oversee the project. In addition, a Volunteer Coordinator was appointed to increase the volunteer base involved with our reserves in surveying, monitoring and practical work. This project has been very successful with the team producing two annual reports for the HLF, the first one of which was not only accepted, but is now being used as a reporting model for other projects.

Education and Expansion

Educational opportunities have increased with the expansion of the People & Wildlife team from one part time officer in 1992, to a Head of People & Wildlife, a Watch Coordinator and two part-time Education Officers. This expansion has been made possible through grant aid from various sources providing materials and resources to enable more exciting projects to be realised. The annual 'Only One Earth' event has now reached its tenth year and has been held for the last few years at Grosvenor Park in Chester. This event relies on volunteers from local groups and Corporate Members donating time and money to support a wide-reaching audience ever eager to learn. 

Membership has risen in the last eighteen months following a successful door to door recruitment campaign. This increase not only serves to provide extra funding for the core needs of the Trust, but presents a higher number of members who are represented when we object to or support policy and planning applications.

Foot and Mouth Disease

We were lucky to receive support from our members during this time , and luckily, our rare breed flock of Hebridean sheep (who manage nature reserves so effectively!) came through the crisis without loss. The grazing programme usually followed was disrupted, with only one of our usual four sites benefiting from these useful animals. We were grateful when the time came that we could see a return of these sheep to their usual haunts.

And so the first 40 years of Cheshire Wildlife Trust came to an end; here's to the next 40 years!