'Inspirational' Elmley National Nature Reserve visit
Members tour Elmley in Kent to mark the Festival of National Nature Reserves
The CLA welcomed members to Elmley National Nature Reserve in Kent this week, for an event to mark the Festival of National Nature Reserves.
The day covered the key factors to consider and offered expert advice to landowners who are exploring the option of owning or running a national nature reserve.
Elmley National Nature Reserve is a family-run farm with a long-term vision to restore nature, and a commitment to the sustainability of the landscape and land, where conservation and farming go hand-in-hand.
The reserve covers 3,300 acres on an island in north Kent, and in 1991 Elmley was designated a National Nature Reserve by Natural England, the only family-owned and managed farm in the UK to have this status.
Members heard from Natural England Chairman Tony Juniper and CLA President Mark Tufnell, and had a tour of the reserve.
Lord Benyon later tweeted about the event: "This is a unique and wonderful place with wildlife in such numbers you can only leave it with your spirits soaring. We need to copy Elmley across the country."
If you need advice on this topic, please call the CLA on 01264 313434.
