Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A tale of five</span></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">woods</span></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">…</span></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once upon a time there was a <em>huge</em> forest overlooking the Fens just to the north of Huntingdon. But over the centuries people chopped down the ancient Saxon forest until just fragments remained,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>including five very special bluebell woods with the charming names of Pingle, Lady’s, Gamsey, Raveley and Wistow. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today these surviving sister woods are in the safekeeping of the local Wildlife Trust, and are havens for some of the rarest plants and animals in the UK with magical names such as adder’s tongue fern, goldilocks buttercup, enchanter’s nightshade and purple hairstreak butterfly. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But this is only the beginning of our story… now we need your help to give it a happy ending.</span></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To safeguard the woods and their precious wildlife takes a lot of careful management. This involves nurturing young trees, cutting older trees to allow light to reach the woodland floor where flowers can flourish, managing boundary hedges, and mowing glades to make ideal conditions for a wide variety of birds, bats, butterflies and bluebells. We must also study the plants and animals more closely to discover more about what will help them to survive.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">All this costs money. Almost £20,000 a year to be exact. </span></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is where we really need <span style="text-decoration: underline;">your</span> help.</span></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>We need to find £36,000 to restore and care for this family of five woods for the next two years.</strong> We could even start work on re-uniting them once more – working with local people to make wildlife-friendly corridors to join them together.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Please help us to find the funds to save the very special Pingle, Lady’s, Gamsey, Raveley and Wistow Woods and their wonderful wildlife – and give your donation today.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you for your help </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Matt Hamilton</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reserves Manager</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Wildlife Trust </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">P.S. </span></strong>Here are just some examples of what it costs to look after these woods and so how your donation will help to save their precious wildlife:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">£12 will buy a meadow rake for volunteers to manage the glades for wildflowers and butterflies</span></span>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">£25 would contribute towards the cost of coppicing trees and shrubs.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">£50 helps towards a survey of plants and animals so we can better understand how to protect them.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">£200 will cover the cost of pollarding a veteran oak tree</span></span>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">£300 would restore a pond where great crested newts can breed.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">P.P.S.</span> </strong>If you want to visit any of these woods to take a look for yourself while the spring flowers are out please visit our <a href="http://www.wildlifebcn.org/wildlife/reserves">nature reserve guide online</a> on our website.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></p>