The reserve was purchased by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust early in 2011 and is the largest protected area in the county outside the Peak District National Park. Located on the site of the former Woodside Colliery it is the hub to the Trusts conservation grazing herds of Highland cattle and Hebridean sheep and contains a variety of habitats including woodland, hay meadows and wetlands linked to the Nut Brook.

Whilst there is a network of paths and trails through the reserve, the grant will allow path improvements to give all year round access, see the installation of new paths to create circular trails, the addition of wildlife themed sculptures for visitors to find and enjoy and a wide range of habitat improvements including many different types of nest boxes.

Kate Lemon, who is leading the project for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said, “Woodside Farm Nature Reserve is a popular place and we want to improve visitor access to more of our land there and create opportunities for our visitors to slow down and enjoy the site. Better signage will help people find features of interest and we will create areas where visitors can enhance their wellbeing through observation and interaction with wildlife via use of bird and bat boxes, hibernacula for reptiles and mammals and feeding stations for birds and invertebrates. Much of this work will be supported by our volunteer team and we would like to recruit more local people to join us and build a sense of ownership and pride in this beautiful site”.

Lisa Green, Operations Manager at WREN said: “This project is a great example of how our funding can make a massive difference to the local community. WREN is proud to help such a wide range of improvements by made by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on one of their busiest reserves.”