£500,000 boost for reserve bid
MEMBERS of the public have d o na t e d nearly £500,000 to a conservation charity to help save an area of wildlife habitat.
The donations, alongside a further £347,000 from the RSPB’S partners, brings the campaign to save Wards Estate in Dunbartonshire a third of the way towards its £1.1 million target.
Individuals have donated £480,000 towards purchasing the 562-acre area and neighbouring farmhouse.
RSPB Scotland hopes to create a nature reserve on the land to increase populations of endangered birds such as curlews, snipe, redshanks and lapwings. Scottish Natural Heritage, Loch Lomond and the Tross a c hs Nati o nal Park Authority and the National Heritage Memorial Fund are t he c o nt r i buti ng partners and will help manage the land.
Anne Mccall, regional director for RSPB Scotland, said the project plans to introduce visitor facilities after consultation with the local community in a bid to attract tourists.
She added: “Thanks to support from our funding partners, we have already secured a third of our total, so it’s overwhelming to see the level of generosity from individuals helping to provide the remaining balance.
“It is particularly encouraging to see so many people share our passion f or conserving this site, one of the best for wildlife in the UK, for generations.”
However, yesterday RSPB Scotland came under fire from rural bodies such as the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) over the project, which accused the charity of wasting public money. The land is already heavily protected under European Union laws, prompting some groups to question why public money has been used to “save” it.
Thesgaisalsoconcerned about predators, such as foxes, which it said would have to be controlled with snares. But the RSPB Scotland stated snares will only be used as a “measure of last resort”.
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