Hothfield Common
Hothfield heathlands is one of the last remaining fragments of open heath. It has the last four remaining valley bogs left in the county. With your support, we can restore more land to open heath for the benefit of wildlife.
Did you know that since the 1940’s, 80% of heathland has been lost.
Hothfield heathlands is designated as a SSSI and a Local Nature Reserve.
It is made up of ancient heathland, acid grassland, bogs, mires and wooded heath. Large tracts of countryside used to be covered by heathland, most of it has been lost. With your we have the opportunity to re-establish a significant historical landscape in the heart of Kent.
We need your support to help cover the costs of restoring this remarkable landscape. Please help us raise £125,000 to save and restore an important new 40 acre extension to Hothfield heathlands. This is a habitat seen nowhere else in Kent.
Key aims
- To save and restore an important new 40 acre extension to Hothfield heathlands. This is a habitat seen nowhere else in Kent. Vital restoration work needs to be carried out to create heathland, acid bogs and mires. There is also the opportunity to create hedges, shelter belts, wooded fringes and headlands. These would provide alternative habitat for increased biodiversity.
- To protect and restore this home for 16 different breeding species of dragonfly and damselfly including the rare keeled skimmer dragonfly. Hothfield heathlands is the only site left in Kent where this dragonfly can breed - laying its eggs in the shallow acidic pools found in the bogs. We need to restore favourable surroundings to aid a host of endangered wildlife.
- To help cover the costs of restoring this remarkable landscape. Some costs include putting stock fencing into place so livestock can be used to maintain open areas of heath. Heavy machinery will be needed to help remove soil and to excavate wet areas for bogs and fens. Trees and hedges will be planted to create the wooded fringes, shelter belts and headlands around the new boundary of the enlarged nature reserve.
How your money could help
- £10 could contribute towards the creation of refuges for reptiles and amphibians.
- £50 could enable a wildlife survey of butterflies or dragonflies to be carried out.
- £100 could cover the costs of 20m of wildlife belt hedge to be planted to benefit species such as yellowhammer, linnet and dormouse.
- £450 could buy one Highland cow to help graze and maintain restored heath.
- £2,000 could help cover the costs of restoring half an acre back to heath and acid grassland.
To donate to this ongoing project
- Call our credit card hotline in office hours (01622) 662012
- Send a cheque to: Donations, Kent Wildlife Trust, Tyland Barn, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent. ME14 3BD.
