Our work

What we have achieved

In just eight years we have raised nearly £2 million for grassland conservation which has enabled us to: 

• Acquire three threatened grasslands in Somerset, Dorset and Wales; our site in Wales includes most of Carmel National Nature Reserve, Carmarthenshire.
• Undertake the restoration of 250 acres of neglected grassland and provide specialist advice on grassland conservation, working with organisations such as Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Peak District National Park Authority, Eastleigh Borough Council, The Woodland Trust and county based Wildlife Trusts as well as landowners and private individuals. Do you need advice? Click here.
• Lobby government to ensure that grasslands are adequately protected through existing laws and regulations. We are actively involved in a number of Biodiversity working groups designed to shape and influence Government  policy on conservation and we are a member of the Wildlife and Countryside Link. Learn more about our campaign work here.
• Carried out research into what other conservation charities are doing, in order to co-ordinate work on grasslands, share knowledge and experience and avoid wasteful duplication.

Timeline

May 2002 The Grasslands Trust is launched.

April 2003 Purchase our first reserve, The Lots: a threatened 126acre site in the Mendip Hills, Somerset

March 2004 Purchase South Poorton Farm, nr Bridport in Dorset.

September 2005 Awarded £200,000 by the Welsh Assembly to restore and extend Carmel National Nature Reserve.

June 2006 Our first Chief Executive, Lucy Rothstein is appointed.

October 2006 Purchase 25 acres of land to extend and protect Carmel NNR.

November 2006 Open our first office in Eastleigh. Miles King is appointed Conservation Manager

May 2007 We employ our second conservation manager - Ian Craft.

August 2007 Begin working with Eastleigh Borough Council at Hocombe Mead - the borough's first Local Nature Reserve.

February 2008  Purchase a further 20 acres adjoining Carmel NNR.

June 2008 Awarded £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop our first community grassland project at Hocombe Mead 

September 2008 Our first Community Grasslands Officer, Martin Reeves, joins the team.

November 2008 - We win £45,000 in the ITV Wales' People's Millions.

August 2009 - Chris Beardshaw, award winning garden designer presents an appeal on Radio Four and helps raise nearly £14,000 towards our conservation work.

October 2009 - The Trust launches its MAGnificent Grasslands project in Durham, which aims to secure areas of very rare magenesian limestone grassland.

Endorsements

"So much of Britain's wildlife rich grasslands have already been lost and The Grasslands Trust is carrying out vital work. If you care about the countryside I would urge you to give The Grasslands Trust all the support you can".

-Bill Oddie, Broadcaster

"It is so encouraging to know that there are organisations like yours which are battling away to maintain this country's unique and ever dwindling natural habitats".

-Deputy Private Secretary to HRH The Prince of Wales, Clarence House.

"I just thought I would let you know that I have visited Home Farm several times over the last few weeks and your work seems to me to have been a great success...The area seems to have been transformed. There were a lot of butterflies, more so in the rides. It was great to see them rising as you walked along. The skylarks were plentiful as well which is always a pleasure. I even saw a single common spotted orchid in one spot..."

-Paul Beevers, local volunteer warden of Home Farm, Burkham in Hampshire - owned by The Woodland Trust.

"The Grasslands Trust has assembled an impressive group of experts to help them and they have been very receptive to working in partnership with other organisations such as Butterfly Conservation. This is very welcome because we all need work together to tackle the huge problem of grassland loss and mis-management".

- Dr. Martin Warren, Chief Executive, Butterfly Conservation