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Nearest
town: Ormskirk (5 miles)
Grid reference: SD 447157, Landranger 108,
Explorer 285
Notification
of changes to visitor centre opening hours
New
opening hours for the visitor centre will come into
effect on 29th May 2007 New opening times are
as follow:
Saturday
9.30am - 4.30pm
Sunday 9.30am - 4.30pm
Monday 9.30am - 4.30pm
Tuesday 9.30am - 4.30pm
Wednesday 9.30am - 4.30pm
Thursday 9.30am - 4.30pm
Friday Closed all day
Access
to the hides, car park and footpaths will not be affected
and can be accessed as normal.
Mere
Sands Wood is a wildlife-rich haven in the heart of
agricultural west Lancashire. The reserve covers 42
hectares (105 acres) and is made up of lakes, mature
broadleaved and conifer woodland, sandy, wet meadows
and heaths. The management of the reserve is designed
not only to encourage wildlife, but also to provide
facilities for people to visit and enjoy seeing the
wildlife. The site is nationally important for wildfowl
and dragonflies, as well as its geology, and has a
fascinating history. It stands on an area of layered
sand and peat, which was deposited by the wind over
boulder clay during the last Ice Age, and by periods
of water logging following this period.
The
sand and peat layers have remained almost undisturbed
since this time and are therefore of international
importance in the understanding of the changes that
occurred to the Lancashire coastline since the ice
retreated northwards. This geological interest warranted
the reserve being designated as a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1985. The name 'Mere
Sands' dates back to medieval times when the area
was on the shore of a large lake called 'Martin Mere'.
The lake was gradually drained for agriculture along
with large areas of surrounding peatland. Lord Hesketh
planted the original woodland on the site in the mid-nineteenth
century and Rhododendron was added later. The sand
proved to be of value for glass-making and extraction
companies quarried the site between 1974 and 1982.
During this period, the Trust members and the local
community worked with Lancashire County Council to
require the extraction company, under a planning agreement,
to landscape the site into a nature reserve once the
extraction was completed. Close liaison with the quarrying
company ensured that belts of the best woodland were
left undisturbed during extraction to save as much
wildlife as possible and screen the works. Extracted
areas were landscaped into shallow-edged lakes with
marsh and dry heath conditions nearby. On completion
of the sand winning in 1982, the Trust acquired the
site.
Since
1982, many thousands of hours have been invested by
Trust volunteers, government trainees and staff developing
the site into its present form. Hides have been built,
footpaths established and reedbeds have been encouraged.
The Reserve continues to develop and there are many
opportunities for people to share in this work. The
mature woodland is mainly Birch with some Oak but
there is also a mature Scots Pine plantation in the
south-east corner, which supported a small population
of Red Squirrels until 1999. The most notable of the
17 species of mammal that inhabit the reserve is the
population of Water Voles. Much Rhododendron has been
removed from the reserve, which has allowed the re-establishment
of the native flora such as Broad Bucker Fern, and
several species of Bramble. Over 200 species of fungi
have been recorded on the reserve. The lakes are developing
an interesting aquatic flora; some of this has been
augmented with the establishment of locally sourced
reed beds on the lake shores. Wet grasslands and dry
heaths occur on areas refilled after sand extraction
and now support many wildflowers including Marsh Helleborine,
Common Spotted, Early and Southern Marsh and Bee Orchids
and notable populations of Golden Dock, Yellow Bartsia,
Yellow-wort, Lesser Centaury and Royal Fern.
Perhaps
the main wildlife interest at Mere Sands Wood is the
over-wintering birds. Winter wildfowl populations
include nationally important numbers of Gadwall and
Teal, as well as Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard,
Tufted Duck, Goldeneye and Goosander. Locally important
species include Mandarin Duck and Kingfisher and there
are annual sightings of Willow Tit and Lesser-spotted
Woodpecker. Breeding species include Great Crested
and Little Grebes, Shelduck, Gadwall, Pochard and
Tufted Duck, alongside Little Ringed Plover and Lapwing.
Birds that breed in the woodland include Sparrowhawk,
Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper,
and Redpoll alongside the common tit and warbler species.
Turtle Dove and Quail breed occasionally. In all,
over 170 bird species have been seen on the reserve,
of these 60 are known to have bred.
Management
As the reserve has developed, the diversity of butterflies,
dragonflies, moths and other invertebrates has increased,
but much more recording is needed to appreciate fully
the value of the reserve to these groups of animals.
Fifteen species of dragonfly are seen regularly from
May to October including ten breeding species such
as Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer and Migrant Hawker.
The dry heath and grassland is kept open by preventing
scrub invasion.
An
annual mowing regime, on certain sections of grassland,
has been successful in encouraging less common plants
such as orchids to thrive in the low nutrient conditions.
Some birch is coppiced on a three-year cycle to provide
habitat for Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Whitethroat.
The timber produced by coppicing is used to create
brash screens for the hides. The habitat diversity
has been increased by careful management; for example
locally gathered Common Reed has been successfully
added to create reedbeds on re-profiled lake edges
which now accommodate more than 15 pairs of reed warbler
and a roost of over 100 reed buntings. Kingfishers
have been encouraged to breed by the creation of a
cliff-like bank on a stream running through the reserve.
Much
of what you see at Mere Sands Wood is the result of
management work, undertaken by volunteers in their
spare time. There is still much to do and offers of
help are welcome. The jobs vary from helping on one
of the practical management work parties to administration
work, wildlife surveying and helping with the guided
walk programme.
The
Visitor Centre is open 9am - 4.30pm Saturday to Thursday
and has a sightings board with daily updates on bird
species, numbers and unusual sightings of all kinds,
as well as attractive and informative displays. The
staff or volunteer wardens are always on hand to answer
your questions about the Reserve, so please don't
be afraid to ask about any of the services mentioned
above. The reserve is open most days except Christmas
Day. From Easter until the end of August the car park
remains open until 8:00 pm.
www.walkswithwheelchairs.com
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