Friends of Pluckley Nature
The establishment of the Friends of Pluckley Nature was brought about by the Parish Council’s acquisition of a predominantly grassland site adjacent to Station and Chamber’s Green Roads which was part of the development of the Old Brickworks. They acquired the site with the vision of creating a Local Nature Reserve for the Parish; and to become a LNR, it really helps to have a Friends group - and so the Friends of Pluckley Nature was born. Our mission is wider than the Nature Reserve, but the Reserve serves as a focal point so to date we have focussed most of our attention on that.
The reserve comprises neutral semi-improved grassland with scrub areas, a small secondary woodland and several ponds. The grassland area supports many herb and grass species including orchids. The scrub layers include species such as Hawthorn, Hazel, Spindle and Bramble. The woodland area is rather dark with limited understory but has potential for a valuable boundary habitat.
There are too many species recorded at the site to list here, but of particular note, either because of their protected status or their scarcity, are:
Dormice, GCNs, reptiles (slow worm and lizards), nightingales, and turtle doves.
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Our aspirations do not stop at the Reserve: habitat fragmentation is one of the most significant problems for nature conservation so as we develop and get more members we would like to look at the potential for wildlife corridors, connecting areas in the Parish, bringing people together to share their wildlife experiences, increase knowledge of our rich natural heritage and love of the natural environment across the Parish. We hope to engage with other groups who may have similar (or conflicting!) interests to see what benefits potential collaborations might bring.
