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Donation plea for iconic landscape - charity

BBC Dr Price stands in a misty wetland area, wearing a black Shropshire Wildlife Trust-branded coat. In her right hand she's holding a replica curlew's egg, which is about the size of a large chicken's egg, and is yellow-beige in colour with brown flecks.BBC
Dr Cath Price, holding a replica curlew's egg, said it's the perfect place for the in-decline wading bird

A wildlife trust is calling for donations to help them transform a site in the heart of the Shropshire Hills.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust has bought Betchcott Hill, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between the Stiperstones and the Long Mynd.

The trust wants to breathe new life into the 50 hectare landscape through a restoration project for its diverse habitats, from wetland bogs to woodland hedgerows.

But to make that happen the trust needs to raise nearly £140,000 by the end of the year, having raised £93.500 so far.

"Nature conservation and restoration takes time," said Carl Pickup, the trust's reserves manager.

Mr Pickup added that "gradual management" of the site over the years could result in Betchcott Hill becoming a heathland that "[looks] more like the traditional Long Mynd that people are used to".

"In 30 years, there might be even more rarities like orchids," he said.

Carl Pickup looking down the camera, he's wearing a navy jacket and a grey woollen hat. Behind him you can see some of the grassland through the fog, with a copse of trees just visible over his right shoulder.
Reserves Manager Carl Pickup said the site could look more like a heath in years to come

Right now, Betchcott Hill is mostly grassland, with the odd wetland area and copse.

But through the trust's transformation plan, "you'll be able to find interesting plants, like the heather coming through," Head of Reserves Tom Freeland said.

"You'll be able to see the rushes, the bog flowers - more of the wetland birds, the snipe and the curlew, the cuckoos, the hares.

"It'll feel more like what people think of as the Shropshire Hills."

The wet, marshy areas are particularly important – and the trust wants to expand this, to provide a home for some of Shropshire's rarest species.

It is the ideal home for the in-decline curlew, according to Dr Cath Price.

"The wet flushes are good for snipe and lapwing, and the curlews have that magnificent long beak [which] lets them reach down into the earth," she said.

"In the summer when the land is dry, it's much more difficult for them to feed if they haven't got the wetter areas to get their beaks into."

RSPB/PA A curlew stood on brown, grassy land. It's various shades of brown, and is almost blending in with the landscape. Its long beak, almost as long as its body, stands out against the backdrop. RSPB/PA
Curlews, pictured here on Shetland, rely on wetland habitats to feed and nest

The trust still needs to raise tens of thousands of pounds before New Year's Eve, but their CEO Richard Grindle said they have already been "overwhelmed by the generosity" of some donors.

"It's not just our traditional supporters and not just [people] in Shropshire, people from across the region have seen this and something's resonated, and they've said yes, they want to help," he said.

The trust has promised that if the site is secured, Betchcott will be open for the public to explore, with waymarked trails and accessible seating.

"With this appeal, there's something for everyone," said fundraising manager Wendy Wyatt.

Shropshire is an "iconic landscape", and "an area that people are very proud of", she said.

"[They] want to see it protected and taken care of," Ms Wyatt added.

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