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Wildflower Meadow at Bickershaw (c) Dave Wilson |
Having been involved with a few other Society members since 2003 in trying to acquire protective status for the
Bickershaw site, I was delighted to receive an e-mail from
Martin Purcell,
Wigan Council's Greenheart Project Officer, informing me that
"funding has been secured from 'The Deal' to help reclaim the 247-hectare former Bickershaw Colliery site as a green haven .... "
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Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet Moth (c) Dave Wilson |
This is the most encouraging piece of local wildlife conservation news to emerge for many a day, and I wish to point out that members owe a huge debt to
Roy Rhodes, the Society's former
Conservation Officer for his enormous commitment to the project over recent years, our
Chairman David Shallcross, and one our two others, for attending umpteen meetings with me to fly the flag for this hugely important, predominantly grassy 'brownfield' site.
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Female Four-spotted Chaser (c) Dave Wilson |
Hopefully, David and I will continue to be involved in meetings to ensure that wildlife considerations remain paramount and that the site achieves its full habitat potential. Other members may wish to support us in the continuing venture to help shape our green environment for its present and potential wildlife benefit and for the enjoyment of our fellow citizens.
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Grasshopper Warbler at Bickershaw - May 2017 (c) Martyn Jones |