Thanks to support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Avon Wildlife Trust is taking on one of its largest projects to date, with a vision to turn Ebdon Farm into a haven for biodiversity by letting nature take the lead.
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has acquired the farm on behalf of Avon Wildlife Trust and provided a two-year window to allow time for the Trust to raise funds to take ownership over the long-term.
The Trust has received long-standing support from Peter Lord CBE, animator, director, producer and co-founder of award-winning Aardman Animations. Peter has been a member and supporter of Avon Wildlife Trust for more than 20 years and has donated generously towards the charity’s ambitions to purchase new land for nature.
The Ebdon Farm project has been supported with development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to allow the project to progress its plans to apply for a full grant of £4.25million at a later date. This will enable the Trust to discover more about the habitats and wildlife on the farm, and to liaise with the local community about what makes this location special and what would make a good community resource in the future.
Shelly Easton, Head of Nature’s Recovery at Avon Wildlife Trust says,
“We’re excited to announce the purchase of Ebdon Farm, and we can’t wait to get started. The farm is our first large-scale purchase to help us achieve our strategic goal of 100 hectares of new nature reserves.
“Ebdon Farm is set on low-lying, low fertility land that is challenging to farm, so it needed intensive interventions as a dairy farm which left little room for nature.
“We plan to create a new climate resilient nature reserve which can help tackle the climate and ecological crises, promoting natural processes and healthy ecological functions.
“The land also sits around two kilometres from the coast, making it the ideal location for the Severn estuary’s wading birds and wildfowl to roost when the tide is high. As sea levels rise, existing shoreline areas will feel the squeeze, so high tide roosts will become increasingly important.”
Ebdon Farm will provide innovative opportunities for local communities to engage with nature and to share their views on potential future developments on site, including education and event programmes and new visitor facilities.
Shelly Easton continues,
“This is just the beginning of a truly innovative long-term project. We will need support from our neighbouring landowners and community partners along the way, to help shape the future of the farm and to meet our fundraising goals.
We know that nature needs us to take decisive action if we are to halt declines in biodiversity and help nature recover. Ebdon Farm is a great opportunity to do this on a large scale and make a positive impact”
Peter Lord CBE said,
“I had a delightful visit to Ebdon Farm and this project is a wonderful and inspiring one. I admire the team’s knowledge and enthusiasm for the site, and I can’t wait to see nature return and thrive here. I hope others will be inspired to support Avon Wildlife Trust too.”
Avon Wildlife Trust wants to see 30% of land managed for nature across the region by 2030, and at least 1 in 4 people taking action for nature. This new site will help achieve these goals. The Ebdon Farm project will help to deliver a nature-based solution to the challenges and effects of a changing climate.
Avon Wildlife Trust has published more information on the Ebdon Farm web page, including how to get involved in the project www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/ebdon-farm
