Archers Green Nature Reserve: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust to land

Sitting in a priority area for conservation action, the Mimram Valley, Archers Green is the latest nature reserve to come under the trust’s ownership and management.

Thanks to the generosity of the community, trust supporters and funders, the future of this wildlife haven is secure with funds of £500,000 raised, through a year-long campaign.

The funds are being used to pay back a philanthropic loan for the purchase of the site, which prevented it from going onto the open market, carrying out vital works, and for the ongoing management of the site. Without this, Archers Green and the wildlife it’s home to could have been at risk.

The trust’s chief executive, Lesley Davies, said: “Securing the future of wild places like Archers Green is crucial for our planet and our local communities.

"The complex of habitats at Archers Green is what makes it so special and home to so many different plants and animals and is why the site is a priority for the trust to give it a secure future and manage it positively to benefit its wildlife.

"Enormous thanks go to the incredible support of our members, donors, volunteers and funders, and particularly to a very generous donation from a legacy which has enabled us to reach our target.

"Safeguarding Archers Green is important as it provides a vital link with nearby sites, helping to strengthen a wildlife corridor along the Mimram Valley and creating more space for nature in the local area.

"To the west, upstream on the chalk river, wildlife thrives on the trust’s Tewinbury Nature Reserve, and to the east at Panshanger Park, we are able to care for wildlife through our partnership project there.

"Archers Green Nature Reserve is a vital connection for wildlife and increases its resilience to other threats, including climate change."

Archers Green is a 20-acre site, which supports some of our most iconic, yet threatened wildlife, such as water vole, skylark and harebell.

It is home to lowland meadows, wet woodland, marsh and chalk stream – all of which are priorities for protection and have earnt Archers Green recognition as a designated Local Wildlife Site.

To find out more about Archers Green, go to www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/archersgreen.

Particularly noteworthy is that Archers Green, flanks the River Mimram, which is one of just 240 chalk streams in the entire world, and the stretch that runs through the site is one of the very best in the county.

Suggested reading

• Herts chalk streams: Council in discussions for Recovery Strategy

• £500,000 fundraising appeal to protect 'important' Archers Green wildlife site in Hertfordshire

These unique river systems are so rare, and support some of our most endangered species – they are the UK’s equivalent to tropical rainforests. Hertfordshire is home to around 10 per cent of the world’s chalk streams.

Protecting sites like Archers Green, and the species that depend on them, is even more vital in light of last month’s UK State of Nature 2023 report which assessed the status of over 10,000 species. 

The report shows that populations of 19 per cent of these species have declined since 1970, and one in six are now threatened with extinction.