Getting Involved

Visiting Nature Reserves and Walking

Somerset Wildlife Trust owns or manages 33 reserves in the Mendip Hills taking in some of the best wildlife habitat in the area. These range from spectacular limestone grasslands in the upper part of the Cheddar Gorge complex to extensive broadleaved woodlands in east Mendip.

West Mendips Reserve Highlights

The Cheddar Complex encompasses Black Rock, Long Wood and Velvet Bottom Reserves, which all adjoin each other and form part of a larger Special Area of Conservation. This area is a stronghold for the Greater Horseshoe Bat and Common Dormouse. Black Rock contains fabulously wildflower rich limestone grassland and broadleaved woodland. The site also contains an abandoned quarry so beware of rock falls. Velvet Bottom is an historic lead-mining site with rare lead-tolerant species including spring sandwort and alpine pennycress. It’s a great site for reptiles, so do watch out for adders.

East Mendips Reserve Highlights

The Harridge Wood Complex encompasses Edford Wood, Edford Meadows, Holme Wood, Limekiln and Harridge Woods East and West. This complex of reserves offers delightful river side walks and a mixture of deciduous woodlands and wildflower rich meadows. Some of the woodlands contain old coniferous plantations which we are gradually restoring to decidous woods. Visit the newly restored bat cottage, winner of a National Biffaward Award for Biodiversity. We shall be monitoring the use of the cottage by a range of bat species.

The project area is traversed by numerous recreational paths or routes, some of which pass directly through the Trust’s reserves:

East Mendip Way
Limestone Link
Samaritan’s Way Southwest
Strawberry Line
The Monarch’s Way
West Mendip Way

Events

19 August 2011 - Mendip Hills Big Bat Survey - booking essential.

Volunteering

There are three local volunteer groups that cover Mendip who do lots to support our work including organising a whole host of local events that anyone is welcome to enjoy:

Mendip Hills: this covers the western part of the region
Wells: this covers the central area
East Mendip: that’s right the eastern area!

If you're interested in practical conservation work in one of our local reserves you may also consider joining the Mendip Hills Conservation Volunteers.

Alternatively if you are interested in helping to record anything from bats to dormice in the Mendip area, there are a range of Specialist Groups that you might like to join.

Membership

Joining the Trust is a great way to show your support for our work and help protect wildlife in the Mendip Hills.