NEXT WEEK: Lancashire recommends... Independent gyms. Any suggestions? Email [email protected]
1.
Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve, Blackpool Marton Mere local nature reserve is a tranquil refuge on the edge of Blackpool. Once the councils rubbish tip is now a biodiversity hot spot. Its an important location for nature conservation, quiet recreation and environmental education.
2.
Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston New Road, Samlesbury Brockholes is owned and managed by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside. Based on the site of an old quarry, the Trust created habitats for lots of different wildlife. You can explore the 250 acre reserve with their network of trails and hides, not to mention the views offered overlooking the River Ribble. You can also explore the woods or enjoy the lakes on site.
3.
Heysham Moss Nature Reserve, Morecambe Heysham Moss is a real conservation success story. A mosaic of habitats including woodland, scrub, wet grassland and raised bog make it a biodiverse hotspot. In fact, Heysham Moss is the second best example of a cut-over raised bog in all of Lancashire, second only to Winmarleigh Moss nature reserve. The thriving population of birds includes wonderful summer species such as sedge warbler, grasshopper warbler and reed bunting, as well as willow warbler and chiffchaff. There are good footpaths around the reserve, but bear in mind these can become wet and muddy after bad weather.
4.
Longton Brickcroft Nature Reserve, Longton, near Preston Longton Brickcroft is a site of local conservation importance, managed as a wetland nature reserve with facilities for fishing, picnicking, informal recreation and nature appreciation. The reserve is comprised of three large ponds, with a number of smaller dipping ponds around the site. The ponds were formed by the excavations when the site was a brickworks. There are no regionally rare species of plants or animals as far as is known, but there are areas of species-rich grasslands, and the whole site acts as an oasis in the middle of housing and of intensely cultivated land. The ramble starts at the reserves car park.