The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) is one of 46 wildlife trusts across the United Kingdom. It manages nature reserves in Leicestershire and Rutland, and was founded in 1956 as the Leicestershire and Rutland Trust for Nature Conservation. As of January 2018, it has over 16,000 members, a staff of about 25 and more than 500 volunteers. It is based in Leicester, and is managed by a Council of Trustees which is elected by the members. It is a charity which covers all aspects of nature conservation, and works to protect wild places and wildlife.
The Watermead Country Park is a network of artificial lakes in the valley of the River Soar and the old Grand Union Canal, in and to the north of Leicester and in and to the south of the Borough of Charnwood in Leicestershire. The southern part of the park, which includes the Hill and the Mammoth is located in Rushey Mead. It runs north to south along the path of the watercourses, with Birstall to the west and Thurmaston to the east. The parks provide bird watching, fishing and watersports facilities, and are managed by a partnership of Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Charnwood Borough Council.
Arkley Lane and Pastures is a 50-hectare (120-acre) Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, in Arkley in the London Borough of Barnet. Arkley Lane, off Barnet Road, is an old drovers' road. Located on the Barnet Plateau, it is now a quiet country lane with a traditional bank and ditch. The thick hedges are composed of beech and hornbeam, ash, field maple and magnificent old pedunculate oaks.
Aylestone Meadows is an 8.8-hectare (22-acre) Local Nature Reserve in Leicester, England, United Kingdom. It is owned and managed by Leicester City Council.
Yeading Brook Meadows is a 17 hectare Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in Yeading in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is owned by Hillingdon Council and managed by the London Wildlife Trust (LWT). In the north it adjoins Ten Acre Wood across the Golden Bridge and Charville Lane; it then stretches south along the banks of the Yeading Brook to Yeading Lane. The reserve is also part of the Yeading Brook Meadows Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, which includes two neighbouring LNRs managed by the London Wildlife Trust, Ten Acre Wood and Gutteridge Wood and Meadows.
Kings Wood and Glebe Meadows is a 36.1-hectare (89-acre) Site of Special Scientific Interest in Houghton Conquest in Bedfordshire. A local teenage boy, Peter Sollars, discovered many rich communities of plants there, including a number of rare species, e.g. Butcher's Broom, Small Teasel and Green Hellebore in the wood, and combinations of Lady's Bedstraw, Spiny Restharrow, Great Burnet, Adders Tongue Fern and Cowslips in the meadows. The County Botanist at the time, John Dony, was notified of his findings, which were confirmed by a site visit with Peter. The site was notified in 1984 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the planning authority is Central Bedfordshire. It is also a Local Nature Reserve.
Maulden Church Meadow is a 4.1-hectare (10-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Maulden in Bedfordshire. It was notified in 1987 under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the local planning authority is Central Bedfordshire Council. Most of it is also a Local Nature Reserve, owned and managed by Central Bedfordshire Council.
Farthinghoe Nature Reserve is a 3.7 hectare Local Nature Reserve north-west of Brackley in Northamptonshire. It is owned by Northamptonshire County Council and managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Bramford Meadows is a nine hectare Local Nature Reserve in Bramford, on the western outskirts of Ipswich in Suffolk. It is owned by Bramford Parish Council and managed by Bramford Openspaces Ltd.
Cribb's Meadow is a 4.2-hectare (10-acre) nature reserve east of Wymondham in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and is designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest under the name Cribb's Lodge Meadows. It is also a National Nature Reserve and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2.
Snibston Grange is a 3.2 hectare Local Nature Reserve on the western outskirts of Coalville in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by Leicestershire County Council.
Bishop's Meadow is a 21.8 hectare Local Nature Reserve on the northern outskirts of Loughborough in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by Charnwood Borough Council.
Glen Parva or Glen Hills is an 11.9 hectares Local Nature Reserve in Glen Parva on the south-western outskirts of Leicester. It is owned and managed by Blaby District Council, Leicestershire County Council and Glen Parva Parish Council
North Kilworth Nature Reserve is a 2.0 hectares Local Nature Reserve in North Kilworth Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by Harborough District Council, Millennium Green Trustee Management Group and Leicestershire County Council.
Birstall Meadows is a 15.6 hectares Local Nature Reserve east of Birstall in Leicestershire. It is part of Watermead Country Park, and is owned and managed by Leicester City Council.
The Orchards is a 6.6 hectares Local Nature Reserve in Leicester. It is owned by Leicester City Council and managed by Groundwork and volunteers.
Scraptoft Nature Reserve is a 14.3 hectares Local Nature Reserve in Scraptoft, on the eastern outskirts of Leicester. It is owned and managed by Leicester City Council.
Kirby Frith is a 2.1-hectare (5.2-acre) Local Nature Reserve on the western outskirts of Leicester. It is owned and managed by Leicester City Council.
Ulverscroft Valley is a 110.8-hectare (274-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Markfield in Leicestershire. The site is in five separate blocks, and two areas are nature reserves managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT). Lea Meadows is owned by the LRWT and it is also a scheduled monument. Part of Ulverscroft Nature Reserve is owned by the LRWT and part is owned by the National Trust and leased to the LRWT.
