Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, (part of the Wildlife Trusts partnership), covers the whole ceremonial county of Lincolnshire, England. It was founded in 1948 as a voluntary charitable organisation dedicated to conserving the wildlife and wild places of Lincolnshire and to promoting the understanding and enjoyment of the natural world.
Its headquarters are at Banovallum House, Manor House Street, Horncastle. It also runs The Wildlife Gift Shop, in Castle Square, Lincoln. It has over 25,000 members and manages 95 nature reserves with a total area of 8,520 acres (34.49 km2). These include five main visitor-focused reserves used for educational purposes:
- Far Ings National Nature Reserve opened in 1973. A reserve of lakes, reedbeds and meadows situated in the north of the county on the south bank of the Humber Estuary 2 miles (3 km) west of Barton upon Humber. Facilities provided include car parking, toilets, shop and classroom.
- Whisby Nature Park opened in 1989. A reserve of lakes, meadows and immature woodland situated in the west of the county alongside the A46 Lincoln by-pass. Facilities include car parking, an education centre with a laboratory and a classroom, an adventure playground for children and the 'Natural World Centre' with toilets, café, shop and temporary and permanent exhibitions. (The car parks, adventure playground and 'Natural World Centre' are managed by North Kesteven District Council).
- Snipe Dales Country Park & Nature Reserve opened in 1974. A reserve that is part low quality grassland and part conifer woodland situated in the centre of the county on the B1195 Horncastle to Spilsby road. Facilities include car parking and toilets.
- Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve opened in 1949 and is the Trust's first nature reserve. A reserve of sand dunes, salt marsh and brackish pools situated on the coast 3 miles (5 km) south of Skegness. Facilities include car parking, a visitors' centre with exhibitions, cafe, shop and toilets and the Wash Study Centre, a residential field station with classroom, laboratory, library and accommodation for up to 36 people.
- Deeping Lakes opened in 2004. A reserve of lakes and immature woodland situated in the south of the county on the north bank of the River Welland, it is 3 miles (5 km) east of Deeping St James on the B1166 road. Only car parking is provided while the site is being developed.
The Trust employs 61 full and part-time staff who are aided by more than 1,500 volunteers drawn mainly from Trust's 16 area groups (members' groups), each of which is based on one of the county's main towns. The area groups also organise meetings, visits and social events and are involved in fund raising and membership recruitment.
5,000 of the Trust's members are under 16 years of age; these are catered for by the organisation's junior wing Wildlife Watch which runs seven groups around the county organising events for children.
The Trust's income is derived mainly from members' subscriptions, money raised by area groups and members, donations, grants from local authorities and government agencies (usually for special projects), profits from the Trust's sales business and from legacies.