Founded in 1967, Earth Trust is an environmental charity (not-for-profit organisation) which was originally known as the Northmoor Trust for Countryside Conservation. Earth Trust was initially established by the British engineer Sir Martin Wood to promote environmental conservation through land management, education, and land science. It is a registered charity under English law.
67-554: Earth Trust is the owner and manager of the largest freely accessible natural green space landscape in Oxfordshire - Wittenham Clumps : 500 hectares of woodland, farmland, wildflower meadows and wetlands. Earth Trust also care for a growing number of smaller community reserves - special places for both nature and people within urban areas and towns. These places receive 200,000+ visits each year. As well as managing and promoting accessible natural green spaces, Earth Trust also operate
134-467: A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1 December 1999. In Kosovo, there are 2 national parks , 11 nature reserves, 99 natural monuments and 3 protected landscapes . The national parks are Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park and Sharr Mountains National Park . As of 2011, Poland has 1469 nature reserves. Nature reserves are one of the 11 types of protected areas in Portugal. As of 2012, Portugal had
201-943: A federal government, Canada recognizes 55 National Wildlife Areas, containing species of ecological significance. This area is protected by legislation known as the Canada Wildlife Act, which is overseen by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. About half of the habitat is marine habitat, and the remainder is terrestrial habitat. Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, among others, protect nature reserves in Canada as well. As part of Canada's Ecological Gifts Program, these charities protect wilderness on privately owned lands. There are 30 nature reserves in Egypt which cover 12% of Egyptian land. Those nature reserves were built according to
268-632: A general system for sanctuaries to follow. Among them, the American Sanctuary Association monitors and aids in various facilities to care for exotic wildlife. The number of sanctuaries has substantially increased over the past few years. In Australia , a nature reserve is the title of a type of protected area used in the jurisdictions of the Australian Capital Territory , New South Wales , Tasmania and Western Australia . The term "nature reserve"
335-643: A hollow named the Money-Pit and a clump of trees named the Cuckoo Pen. The Money-Pit is supposedly the location of a treasure hoard guarded by a raven, and the Cuckoo Pen gets its name from the local belief that a trapped cuckoo would ensure eternal Summer. Wittenham Clumps are located at grid reference SU569925 , close to the River Thames , and good views can be had from the Thames Path along
402-417: A large rectilinear enclosure, which was subsequently singled out for excavation. This revealed the remains of a Romano-British house with tesserae (mosaic) floors and painted wall plaster on the southern slope of Round Hill. The area also contained an Iron-Age cobbled floor, together with post holes that could have related to a structure. Further investigations found Iron Age rubbish pits distributed all over
469-540: A pair of wooded chalk hills in the Thames Valley , in the civil parish of Little Wittenham , in the historic county of Berkshire , although since 1974 administered as part of South Oxfordshire district. The higher of the two, Round Hill , is 390 feet (120 m) above sea-level. The 350-foot (110 m) Castle Hill is about 380 yards (350 m) south-east and was the site of an Iron Age hill fort . A third hill, not normally considered one of The Clumps,
536-460: A pit dug into the ground. In January 2024, archaeologists from DigVentures found an iron age workshop dating from between 770 and 515 BC. The workshop was found downslope from the hillfort. The eastern side of Castle Hill is the location of the Victorian ' Poem Tree ', a beech tree which had a poem carved into it by Joseph Tubb of Warborough Green in 1844–45. The tree, which died in
603-483: A programme of events each year, including countryside management courses, taster workshops and family festivals. They are best known for their Lambing Weekends in spring, which were attended by over 8,000 people in 2016. Earth Trust host many events throughout the year. The majority are held at their flagship site in Little Wittenham with a small number taking place on the nearby community nature reserves that
670-414: A residential area of the town, Abbey Fishponds is a small nature reserve with wetland wildlife. The reserve is around 7ha and completely enclosed by housing. The newest Earth Trust building, Earth Lab is a sustainable building. The ponds and backwaters were developed in 2021 and provide important habitats for wildlife as well as wetlands which help to alleviate floods and absorb carbon. Earth Trust hosts
737-769: A total area of approximately 1,330 km (510 sq mi). Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 gives local authorities the exclusive statutory power to establish a local nature reserve in consultation with the SNH. The biosphere reserves of Iran have a total land area of 1.64 million km . The "reserves" support more than 8,000 recorded species of plants (almost 2,421 are endemic ), 502 species of birds , 164 species of mammals , 209 species of reptiles , and 375 species of butterflies . India 's 18 biospheres extend over
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#1732786872274804-656: A total of 46 protected areas, which represented 6,807.89 km (2,628.54 sq mi) of land and 463.94 km (179.13 sq mi) of marine surfaces. Among the protected areas, nine are classified as nature reserve ( Portuguese : reserva natural ). About 5.18% of the area of Romania has a protected status (12,360 km (4,770 sq mi)), including the Danube Delta , which makes up half of this area (2.43% of Romania's total area). There are 15 National Parks, and around 90 Natural Parks in Spain. Spain
871-693: A total of 85,940 km (33,180 sq mi) and protect larger areas than typical national parks in other countries. The first national reserve of India was established in 1986. Israel 's national parks are declared historic sites or nature reserves, which are mostly operated and maintained by the National Nature and Parks Authority. As of 2019, Israel maintains more than 490 nature reserves that protect 2,500 species of indigenous wild plants, 20 species of fish, 530 species of birds and 70 species of mammals. In total, they cover 6,400 km (2,500 sq mi) of nature reserves, approximately 28% of
938-630: A wildlife refuge since very few people live in the area. Wildlife has flourished in the zone since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. South Africa is well known for its many nature reserves. The oldest nature reserve in the country (and oldest conservation area in the world) is the Groenkloof Nature Reserve that was established in 1892 in the capital city Pretoria in the old South African Republic and current Republic of South Africa. The country has many national parks but
1005-455: A working farm. Along with their Farm Step tenants, Earth Trust are one of Oxfordshire's mid-sized producers of legumes, grains and wildflowers, beef, Goat's cheese and honey. Earth Trust have 500 hectares of mixed use farmland, demonstrating the links between environment, wildlife, landscape and growing food. Earth Trust encourages and supports the production, distribution and eating of good quality, local, healthy food. Land management, skills and
1072-600: Is Brightwell Barrow , further to the south-east. The grassed slopes of The Clumps lead up to summits wooded by the oldest beech tree plantings in England, dating to the 1740s. Standing over 70 metres above their surroundings, the Clumps have a prominent appearance and panoramic views, with the north slopes overlooking villages and towns whose sites mark some of the first settlements of the English . The view from The Clumps
1139-837: Is Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in East Sussex, where a network of footpaths enables visitors to explore shingle, saltmarsh, saline lagoon, reedbed, and grazing marsh habitats. Through the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was established in 1992 as a government body, responsible to the Scottish Government Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament. At 31 March 2008, there were 65 Scottish national nature reserves with
1206-455: Is a protected area of importance for flora , fauna , funga , or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research . They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions . Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on
1273-505: Is also evidence of barley and wheat cultivation. The fort appears to have been abandoned by the late Iron Age, the next occupants being Romans . A 2004 episode of the Channel 4 archaeological television programme Time Team focused on the Clumps. In 2004, Castle Hill was under excavation by Oxford Archaeology, and Time Team was charged with investigating the surrounding landscape to find any trace of activity that could be associated with
1340-457: Is also protected, and hunting is not allowed, but products and by-products from research may be sold. Wildlife refuges in Brazil have as their objective the protection of natural flora and fauna where conditions are assured for the existence and reproduction of species or communities of the local flora and the resident or migratory fauna. The refuges can consist of privately owned land, as long as
1407-881: Is defined in the relevant statutes used in those states and territories rather than by a single national statute. As of 2016, 1767 out of a total of 11044 protected areas listed within the Australian National Reserve System used the term "nature reserve" in their names. In Brazil, nature reserves are classified by the National System of Nature Conservation Units as ecological stations ( Portuguese : estações ecológicas ) or biological reserves ( Portuguese : reservas biológicas ). Their main objectives are preserving fauna and flora and other natural attributes, excluding direct human interference. Visits are allowed only with permission, and only for educational or scientific purposes. Changes to
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#17327868722741474-450: Is included on the front of the second edition of Lucas’s map, published in 2024, (ISBN 978-1-8384385-8-6, Cittern Press, 2024). 51°37′42″N 1°10′46″W / 51.62845°N 1.17937°W / 51.62845; -1.17937 Nature Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge , wildlife sanctuary , biosphere reserve or bioreserve , natural or nature preserve , or nature conservation area )
1541-569: Is specifically defined in the Reserves Act to mean a reserve that prioritizes the protection of rare flora and fauna, to the extent that public access is by permit only. Some of these reserves include Ecological Islands , a comparatively new concept in wildlife preservation, pioneered in New Zealand to help rebuild the populations of nearly extinct birds, and other species that are heavily threatened by introduced predators. In Nicaragua ,
1608-624: Is the country with the most sites listed in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves . There are 4 biosphere reserves (two of them are dated 1927 and 1874) and 17 nature reserves in Ukraine, covering 160,000 ha (400,000 acres). Ukraine administers 40 national parks , 2632 habitat management areas, 3025 nature monuments, and 1430 other preservations. There are some differences between the regulations for England , Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales , which are separately managed. At
1675-647: Is yet to be officially classified), and seven specific types of "reserve", each of which prioritize various degrees of protection to different amenities such as scenery, recreation, flora and fauna, scientific value, or history. Land is often sub-categorised beneath its general classification, as defined in law between the Reserves Act of 1977 , the National Parks Act of 1980 , and the Conservation Act of 1987 . Under these classifications,
1742-470: The Department of Conservation administers more than 80,000 square kilometres (31,000 sq mi)—nearly 30% of the nation's total area—with at least some degree of protection. This land is composed of 14 National Parks, 30 Conservation Parks, and approximately 8,900 discrete areas of land in total. Although the most public land is strongly protected for natural preservation, the term nature reserve
1809-651: The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) is in charge of environmental protection and of the study, planning, and management of Nicaragua's natural resources. Nearly one-fifth of the territory is designated as protected areas like national parks, nature reserves (including the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve ), and biological reserves. Nicaragua has 78 protected areas that cover 22,422 km (8,657 sq mi), about 17.3% of
1876-476: The 110-metre-tall (360 ft) cooling towers of Didcot A Power Station, constructed in the late 1960s, dominated the skyline around Didcot; they were demolished in phases from 2014 to 2020. To the north-east is Little Wittenham Wood , which borders the Thames, and to the south-east is Brightwell Barrow. The wooded area at the top of Castle Hill, which contains a public footpath, is now closed indefinitely due to
1943-421: The 1990s, collapsed in 2012; there is now a stone commemorating the 150th anniversary of the carving. Wittenham Clumps is said to be where Matthew Prior wrote Henry and Emma , and this is commemorated by a plaque. Wittenham Clumps were repeatedly painted by the 20th-century British artist Paul Nash . In 2007, Radiohead filmed a music video for the song, Faust Arp on The Wittenham Clumps. The finale to
2010-716: The Black Mirror episode, Shut Up and Dance, was filmed in the same spot, with Radiohead's song Exit Music (For a Film) featured. In 2021, Robin Alexander Lucas published a new poem about The Wittenham Clumps, the Money Pit and the Raven that is said to guard it, entitled The Money Pit – or – The Sinodun Hoard . It was printed on the reverse side of a decorative map of The Wittenham Clumps, published by Cittern Press, (ISBN 978-1-8384385-9-3, Cittern Press, 2021). The poem
2077-581: The British established the Yob Wildlife Reserve in northern Eritrea specifically to protect significant populations of Nubian ibex in the area. Denmark has three national parks and several nature reserves, some of them inside the national park areas. The largest single reserve is Hanstholm Nature Reserve, which covers 40 km (9,900 acres) and is part of Thy National Park . In Sweden , there are 30 national parks . The first of them
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2144-496: The Clumps. Over a period of three days, Time Team surveyed a total of seven hectares using ground-penetrating radar. The original focus was the previously unexplored Round Hill, but difficulties in carrying out geophysical studies on its tree-covered crest forced the team to abandon their original goal. Moving down the southern slopes, however, many hidden features emerged, including enclosure ditches, pits, possible buildings, and other clusters of anomalies. The geophysics highlighted
2211-571: The United States is Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and was established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 as part of his Square Deal campaign to improve the country. At the time, setting aside land for wildlife was not a constitutional right of the president. In 2006, a bi-partisan group of US House of Representatives members established the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus to further support
2278-642: The ancient world. According to stone inscriptions found in the vicinity, the king commanded the people not to harm animals or destroy trees within the area. In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , managed by the Secretary of the Interior , is responsible for managing many of the federal nature reserves including the National Wildlife Refuge System . The National Wildlife Refuge System includes areas administered for
2345-809: The best-known is the Kruger National Park , which was announced in 1898, and is the largest, at nearly 2,000,000 ha (20,000 km ). The Kruger Park and Table Mountain National Park are two of South Africa's most visited tourist attractions, along with the Addo Elephant National Park . South Africa also has 10 World Heritage Sites , including four natural sites and one mixed site. And it has provincial game reserves including Shamwari , Londolozi , Sanbona and Lalibela. The country currently has 20 national parks covering 3,700,000 ha (37,000 km ), about 3% of
2412-743: The charity manages. One such notable previous event was the Children's Food Festival , held in 2007 and in 2009 in Oxfordshire . It was fronted by patrons Raymond Blanc and Sophie Grigson , who gave hands-on demos, inviting children to help them chop, stir, smell and taste. Other guests have included Annabel Karmel , Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall (author of The Good Granny Cookbook ), Sam Stern (the Teenage Chef), Nora Sands (Jamie's School Dinner Lady) and children's cookery writer Amanda Grant. Wittenham Clumps Wittenham Clumps are
2479-908: The country's land area. In 1984, the two areas with the highest number of nature reserves were the South (15.2%) and Samaria (the Shomron, 13.5%). Under the Nature Conservation Law, places can be designated as 'wilderness areas', 'nature conservation areas' and 'prefectural nature conservation areas'. In 1995, when the Japanese Government published its information in English, there were 5 wilderness areas, 10 nature conservation areas and 516 prefectural nature conservation areas. There are seven nature reserves in Jordan . In 1966
2546-646: The country's total area. A few of them predate the October Revolution of 1917, but most have been created during the Soviet Union era. There are also natural protected areas where only certain species are protected, or only certain activities are prohibited; those are known as zakaznik (Russian: заказник ). Unofficial sanctuaries can also occur as a result of human accidents; the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has in practice become
2613-502: The danger of falling trees. The entrance to the wooded area atop Round Hill also carries a warning of falling branches due to fungal decay of many of its trees. There is a hillfort on Castle Hill. The earliest earthworks date to the late Bronze Age . More banks and ditches were added during the early Iron Age . Excavation has revealed that the Iron Age inhabitants caught fish and wild boar as well as herding cattle and sheep. There
2680-424: The ecosystems in both types of reserve are allowed to restore and preserve the natural balance, biological diversity and natural ecological processes. Ecological stations are also allowed to change the environment within strictly defined limits (e.g. affecting no more than three percent of the area or 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres), whichever is less) for the purpose of scientific research. A wildlife reserve in Brazil
2747-654: The end of March 2004, there were 215 national nature reserves in England with a total area of 879 km (339 sq mi). The reserves are scattered through England, from Lindisfarne in Northumberland to The Lizard in Cornwall . Nearly every rural county has at least one. Many national nature reserves contain nationally important populations of rare flowers , ferns and mosses , butterflies and other insects , and nesting and wintering birds . Examples include unique alpine plants at Upper Teesdale and
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2814-521: The excavations is of the site being occupied since the Bronze Age around 1000 BC, the hillfort and surrounding farms dating from around 600 BC, followed by a move down towards the southern part of the site around 300 BC. The area was then abandoned, until the construction of the Roman villa. Among the many artefacts found in the area are an oval bronze shield around 35 cm in diameter, retrieved from
2881-504: The field of snake's head fritillaries at North Meadow, Cricklade , Wiltshire . There are now over 1,050 local nature reserves in England. They range from windswept coastal headlands, ancient woodlands and flower-rich meadows to former inner-city railways, long-abandoned landfill sites and industrial areas now re-colonized by wildlife. In total, they cover almost 40,000 ha (99,000 acres)—a natural resource which makes an important contribution to England's biodiversity . A good example
2948-585: The largest total areas being in Bavaria with 1,416 km (547 sq mi) and Lower Saxony with 1,275 km (492 sq mi). In Hungary, there are 10 national parks , more than 15 nature reserves and more than 250 protected areas. Hortobágy National Park is the largest continuous natural grassland in Europe and the oldest national park in Hungary. It is situated on the eastern part of Hungary, on
3015-564: The laws no. 102/1983 and 4/1994 for protection of the Egyptian nature reserve. Egypt announced a plan from to build 40 nature reserves from 1997 to 2017, to help protect the natural resources and the culture and history of those areas. The largest nature reserve in Egypt is Gebel Elba (35,600 square kilometres (13,700 sq mi)) in the southeast, on the Red Sea coast. On 16 March 1959,
3082-506: The level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park . Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves. Cultural practices that roughly equate to the establishment and maintenance of reserved areas for animals date back to antiquity, with King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka establishing Mihintale wildlife sanctuary, one of
3149-546: The means needed to produce and distribute food locally, minimising transport and waste are all important ingredients. Earth Trust continue to explore and develop methods to show that farming practices can be environmentally friendly and economically sustainable. In 2009, Earth Trust came into a management position of Thrupp Lake, located in Radley . In 2014 Earth Trust started managing Abbey Fishponds in Abingdon. Tucked away in
3216-566: The name is a scholarly creation, punning on the Latin 'sinus' (bosom). Other lesser-used and more colloquial names for the Clumps include the Berkshire Bubs (since the Clumps are in the historic county of Berkshire, though this area was transferred to Oxfordshire administratively in 1974 ) and Mother Dunch's Buttocks (after a local Lady of the Manor named Dunch ). On Sinodun Hill is
3283-549: The nation's landmass. Private nature reserves exist with land excluded from private land trusts and maintained at the sole cost of the proprietor. For example, O Parks, WildLife, and Recreation, Or El Ostional Private Wildlife Reserve, was established within the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor by retired FDNY firefighter Kevin Michael Shea, who purchased 46 acres (0.19 km ) of land for
3350-686: The nearby river Isis in 1836 and the 70 cm long Wittenham Sword and scabbard , found in 1982 and dating from the Late Iron Age (120 BC - AD 43) In February 2021, archaeologists headed by Chris Casswell from DigVentures announced the discovery of at least 15 roundhouses dating from 400 to 100 BC. and remains of Roman villa dating from 3rd to early 4th century CE. According to excavators, members of noble family would have lived in this Roman villa. Researchers have also revealed some Roman kitchen utensils and an Iron Age "fridge" or pantry-ceramic food storage containers to keep food cool and safe in
3417-568: The north, with the 15-storey Plowman Tower in Northway, Oxford visible on the horizon, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) away. The white-walled reactor buildings of the Joint European Torus , site of the world's first successful controlled nuclear fusion experiments, can be seen around 6 km to the north-west. To the west, there is the town of Didcot, with some of the chimneys of the gas-fired Didcot B Power Station visible. Formerly,
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#17327868722743484-557: The objectives of the unit are compatible with the landowners' usage of the land and natural resources. Public visits are subject to the conditions and restrictions established by the management plan of the unit and are subject to authorisation by and regulations of the main administrative and scientific research body. The Niagara Escarpment and the St. Lawrence River in Ontario are among the 18 nature reserves recognized by UNESCO in Canada. As
3551-563: The organization that would later start Jordan's nature reserves, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature , was founded. RSCN's first efforts involved bringing back severely endangered species. In 1973, RSCN was given the right to issue hunting licenses, giving RSCN an upper hand in preventing extinction. The first step was the founding of Jordan's first nature reserve, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve , in 1975. The primary purpose
3618-585: The plain of the Alföld. It was established in 1972. There are alkaline grasslands interrupted by marshes. They have a sizable importance because there are the fishponds. One of the most spectacular sights of the park is the autumn migration of cranes. Some famous Hungarian animal species live in Hortobágy National Park, such as the grey cattle, racka long-wool sheep living only in Hungary, Hungarian horses and buffalo. Hortobágy National Park has been
3685-440: The protection and conservation of fish and wildlife that are threatened with extinction, as well as wildlife ranges, game ranges, wildlife management areas, and waterfowl production areas. The first North American wildlife refuge, Lake Merritt Wildlife sanctuary at Lake Merritt , was established by Samuel Merritt and enacted in California state law in 1870 as the first government owned refuge. The first federally owned refuge in
3752-406: The purpose of restoring the ecological system of a dry tropical forest , ravaged during the Nicaraguan Revolution . The park provides a private nature reserve, wildlife corridor and verified carbon credits . There are around 100 nature reserves ( Russian : заповедник , romanized : zapovednik ) in Russia, covering some 330,000 km (130,000 sq mi), or about 1.4% of
3819-401: The river. The panoramic views of the Berkshire and Oxfordshire countryside from the Clumps themselves are also spectacular; a viewpoint guide on the north side of Round Hill gives directions to many sights, the furthest being Faringdon Folly , a tower built on another Iron Age hillfort 27 kilometres (17 mi) to the west. Day's Lock and Dorchester Abbey are clearly visible in the valley to
3886-458: The top of Round Hill has enabled access since 2005, after being closed for twenty years. The site and its surroundings are maintained as a Nature Reserve by the Earth Trust . Strictly speaking, the name Wittenham Clumps refers to the wooded summits of these hills, which are themselves more properly referred to as the Sinodun Hills , the name Sinodun deriving from Celtic , Seno-Dunum, meaning 'Old Fort'. Alternatively, it has been suggested that
3953-405: The total area of South Africa. The Prince Edward Islands , which are South African territories in the Southern Ocean , have been declared a special nature reserve. It is a highly protected area from which all human activity is excluded, except for conservation and scientific research. The area around Mihintale , Sri Lanka , was a sanctuary for wildlife, probably the first of its generation in
4020-419: The valley, suggesting widespread settlement throughout the period. Pottery finds indicated that most activity took place in the earlier and later phases of the period, with a quieter occupation phase in the middle. The geophysics surveys also uncovered more suspected Iron Age enclosures along with what appeared to be a Roman road, which would have been associated with the site. The overall chronology suggested by
4087-441: The world's earliest wildlife sanctuaries , in the 3rd-century-BC Anuradhapura Ancient Kingdom. Early reservations often had a religious underpinning, such as the 'evil forest' areas of West Africa which were forbidden to humans, who were threatened with spiritual attack if they went there. Sacred areas taboo from human entry to fishing and hunting are known by many ancient cultures worldwide. The world's first modern nature reserve
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#17327868722744154-428: Was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States , followed by the Royal National Park near Sydney , Australia, and the Barguzin Nature Reserve of Imperial Russia , the first of zapovedniks set up by a federal government entirely for the scientific study of nature. There are several national and international organizations that oversee the numerous non-profit animal sanctuaries and refuges to provide
4221-442: Was described by David Attenborough as "one of the first people anywhere to recognise not only that the natural world was of great importance but that it needed protection as humanity made more and more demands on it". Drachenfels was protected as the first state-designated nature reserve in modern-day Germany; the site was bought by the Prussian State in 1836 to protect it from further quarrying. The first major nature reserve
4288-412: Was described by the artist Paul Nash , who first saw them in 1911, as "a beautiful legendary country haunted by old gods long forgotten". The Clumps are the most visited outdoor site in the administrative county of Oxfordshire, attracting over 200,000 visitors a year. A car park was added in 1971, and the extensive network of paths are accessible by foot all year round. A path through the wooded area at
4355-575: Was established in 1821 by the naturalist and explorer Charles Waterton around his estate in Walton Hall, West Yorkshire . He spent £9000 on the construction of a three-mile long, 9 ft tall wall to enclose his park against poachers . He tried to encourage bird life by planting trees and hollowing out trunks for owls to nest in. Waterton invented artificial nest boxes to house starlings , western jackdaws and sand martins ; and unsuccessfully attempted to introduce little owls from Italy. Waterton allowed local people access to his reserve and
4422-641: Was established in 1909. There are almost 4,000 nature reserves in Sweden. They comprise about 85% of the surface that is protected by the Swedish Environmental Code. In Estonia, there are five national parks , more than 100 nature reserves, and around 130 landscape protection areas. The largest nature reserve in Estonia is Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve , which covers 342 km (85,000 acres). As of 2017, France counts 10 national parks , around 50 regional nature parks , and 8 marine parks . In 1995 Germany had 5,314 nature reserves ( German : Naturschutzgebiete ) covering 6,845 km (2,643 sq mi),
4489-502: Was to create means to breed endangered species, specifically: the Arabian oryx , gazelles , ostriches , and Persian onagers in their natural environment. By the end of 2009 there were 10 nature reserves ( Kyrgyz : корук , koruk ) in Kyrgyzstan covering 600,000 hectares (6,000 km ) or about three percent of the total area of the country. New Zealand has a variety of types of reserve, including national parks , various types of conservation areas (including stewardship land that
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