The fire caused around a hectare of damage on the SSSI heathland site that is a haven for ground-nesting birds, the endangered cuckoo and rare plants such as bog asphodel and moonwort.  We are still investigating the cause of the fire and the impact to the wildlife on site.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service were able to bring the fire under control quickly, and we were able to make use of the fire kit bought thanks to our Roaches appeal which raised funds after a devastating fire in 2018 at our Roaches Nature Reserve where we lost 37 hectares of moorland and many species of wildlife.

Equipment from the appeal such as an Agrocat all-terrain vehicle and flail allowed us to create a fire break to stop the fire from spreading and causing irreplaceable damage.

Huge thanks to Staffs Fire and Rescue Service who had 6 fire engines on the site, and Staffordshire Police who sent police to control traffic on the road and to those who donated to our Roaches Appeal

It is not just fires that cause damage. Thousands of people enjoyed and sought solace in the beautiful countryside and our stunning 31 nature reserves across Staffordshire during the past 12 months. But these places which we want to be havens for wildlife and for nature lovers to enjoy have had a lot of pressure placed on them.

We have seen a huge increase in vandalism, motorcycles riding across our land, fly-tipping, littering and disturbance to wildlife recently – placing pressure on our conservation team whose resources and time are stretched as a result.

You can help us protect out nature reserves across Staffordshire from incidents such as fires, fly-tipping and littering by donating to our newest appeal where we are aiming to raise £5,000. Any donation, however small, will help. Donate here https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/protectourreserves Thanks to all those who have donated so far, we have raised over £2,100 but still have a way to go

This month is reaching the driest April on record since 1938. We would like to remind people who are our visiting the countryside in Staffordshire to be vigilant. The land is extremely dry at the moment, risk of fires is really high. No campfires, no open flames or BBQ’s are allowed on reserves.

Our thoughts go out to those managing the fire in the Park Drive and Park Avenue areas of Cheadle that broke out last night.