When Wildlife Haven adopted the area only two trees stood on the site: a Sycamore and a Newton Wonder apple tree and there was almost no biodiversity or variety of wildlife.
There is a large focus on habitat creation we are planting and encouraging native species of plants and trees to attract invertebrates, birds and bats. The wildlife haven habitat has been entirely man-made: we have planted over 250 trees and are constantly encouraging native species of plants and animals to flourish with the addition of bird boxes, hedgehog ‘hotels’ and bee hives. We have rough areas where we have provided natural ground cover, hedgerows and places for invertebrates to hide and feed, hence more insects for food and places for birds and mammals to nest. Wildlife havens need to be nurtured and managed and many volunteer hours are spent each year doing just that.
No wildlife area is complete without a pond. They will attract wildlife, and many of our most spectacular wild flowers are found in ponds and marshy areas. Creating The Wildlife Haven ponds was a major task that has only recently been completed. Once contoured they were lined with over 200 tonnes of clay, followed by a layer of rubber lining. The pond is fed by rainwater that falls on the roof of the exhibition centre. We have purposefully kept the ponds free of fish to ensure the safety of newts, fogs and other species that provide food for many fish.