The Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) is one of 46 wildlife trusts which cover the United Kingdom. The EWT was founded in 1959, and it describes itself as Essex's leading conservation charity, which aims to protect wildlife for the future and the people of the county. As of January 2017, it has over 34,000 members and runs 87 nature reserves, 2 nature parks and 11 visitor centres.
Daws Heath contains a large area of woodland in eastern Thundersley, part of Castle Point near Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. It is traversed by the Daws Heath Road and St Michael's Road. Daws Heath provides a semi-rural escape for local towns and villages and their residents as they walk, cycle or drive out of Castle Point, as Daws Heath Road has fields and woodland on both sides of the road with a small scattering of houses. Going down Daws Heath Road it is not uncommon to see rare-breed cattle, sheep and horses. Daws Heath is surrounded by Greenbelt and Woodland which are a buffer to stop the local villages merging by development. West Woods, nearly 80 acres (320,000 m2) of mixed woodland, was purchased from the Church of England in 2009, securing continued public access to these woods; public support in the Daws Heath area is very strong especially on green belt and woodland preservation. The area has established neighbourhood watch schemes, Church Groups and Greenbelt Protection Groups. Daws Heath contains The Deanes,, and is linked to a local Sixth Form College in Thundersley (SEEVIC), now part of USP College.
Cranham Marsh is a 15.3 hectare Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in Cranham in the London Borough of Havering. It is owned by Havering Council and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Danbury Common is a 70.2-hectare (173-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Danbury in Essex, England. Most of it is common land owned by the National Trust, and two areas, the Backwarden and Hitchcock's Meadows, are part of Essex Wildlife Trust's Danbury Ridge Nature Reserves.
Gobions Wood is a 36 hectare nature reserve managed by the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust in Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire. The site was formerly owned by the Gobions Woodland Trust, a registered charity which was closed down in 2013 because it had ceased to exist.
Woodham Walter Common SSSI is an 80-hectare (200-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Danbury in Essex. The site includes six nature reserves within the Danbury Ridge Nature Reserves, managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. These are Woodham Walter Common itself, Birch Wood, Pheasanthouse Wood, Poors' Piece, Scrubs Wood and a small area in Pheasanthouse Farm. The largest part of the SSSI is the 32.3-hectare (80-acre) Woodham Walter Common, which is managed by the Wildlife Trust on behalf of Maldon District Council and Woodham Walter Parish Council.
Danbury Ridge Nature Reserves are a group of nature reserves totalling 101 hectares near Danbury in Essex, England. They are managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, and most of them are in Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Two areas, the Backwarden and Hitchcock's Meadow, are part of Danbury Common SSSI, and Woodham Walter Common, Birch Wood, Pheasanthouse Wood, Poors Piece, Scrubs Wood, and a small area in Pheasanthouse Farm, are part of Woodham Walter Common SSSI.
Great Wood and Dodd's Grove is a 36.8-hectare (91-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. It is also a Local Nature Reserve called Belfairs. Essex Wildlife Trust runs the Belfairs Woodland Centre and manages the site together with Southend-on-Sea City Council.
Belcher's and Broadfield Woods is a 14.4-hectare (36-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Halstead and Braintree in Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust as the Brookes Nature Reserve.
West Wood is a 23.6 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Little Sampford, north of Thaxted in northwestern Essex. It is owned and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Crowsheath Wood is an 8.1-hectare (20-acre) nature reserve in Downham, between Billericay and South Woodham Ferrers in Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Pound Wood is a 22.3 nature reserve in Thundersley in Essex. It is owned and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Tile Wood is a 6.5-hectare (16-acre) nature reserve in Thundersley in Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Iron Latch is a 4.3-hectare (11-acre) nature reserve in Eight Ash Green, west of Colchester in Essex.
Lexden Gathering Grounds is an 8.9-hectare (22-acre) nature reserve in Lexden, a suburb of Colchester in Essex. It is owned by Anglian Water and managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
Grove House Wood is a 2.2 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Stanford-le-Hope in Essex. According to Natural England, it is owned by Thurrock Council and managed by Essex Wildlife Trust but it is not listed on the web site of either body.
Linford Wood is a 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) Local Nature Reserve in East Tilbury in Essex. It is owned and managed by Thurrock Council.
Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges is a 25 hectare nature reserve in Shoeburyness in Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT). Part of Gunners Park is Shoeburyness Old Ranges Local Nature Reserve, which is itself part of the Foulness Site of Special Scientific Interest. At the eastern end of Gunners Park is the Danish Camp, a Scheduled Monument.
Langdon Nature Reserve is a 210 hectare nature reserve west of Basildon in Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, and forms part of the Langdon Ridge Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Shut Heath Wood is a 20.2-hectare (50-acre) nature reserve Essex. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust.
