Cambridge City
Local Nature Reserves
Welcome
The Local Nature Reserves (LNR’s) in Cambridge are for both people and wildlife. The designation of these reserves helps to protect some of the best wildlife habitats and geographical features across the City, whilst making an important contribution to the UK’s biodiversity. The reserves provide an opportunity for people to study, learn about and enjoy nature on their doorstep.
Over the last 100 years, urban development, agricultural intensification and the abandonment of management operations have put many habitats and species under threat. Today, Cambridge City Council’s Local Nature Reserves make an important contribute to the protection and enhancement of the UK’s biodiversity.
The improvements made on Cherry Hinton Brook recently have enhanced the visual appearance of the brook, especially the section by Sainsbury’s, but what effect has it had for the flora and fauna living in it? A monitoring project has begun to provide important baseline and trend data that may be able answer this question and help to guide future conservation work on the stream. Some of the Saturday volunteers have undertaken this venture to test the water quality and health of the aquatic life in the stream since…
Endangered Water voles have set up residence in the new back water and reed bed created at Logan’s Meadow Local Nature Reserve. If you take the time to explore the reserve this summer, by the river in East Chesterton, you may be lucky and catch a glimpse of one of these endearing mammals, you may also be treated to several species of damsel and dragonfly now breeding on the reserve, as well as kingfishers, herons and dramatic aerial displays of swifts that have hopefully returned to nest in…
More and more swifts are returning at this time of year and it will be exciting to see if any nest this season in the Swift tower at Logan’s Meadow. Last breeding season it was the Starlings which were more interested. This year to provide optimum nesting conditions for the Swifts small plates have been attached to the front access holes which restrict Starlings entering but allow Swifts to fit in easily. This will stop the Swift tower becoming a Starling tower instead!Fingers crossed more Swift mating pairs will decide that Logan’s Meadow, with…