A huge range of wildlife from the Hen Harrier, Brown Hare, Great Crested Newt to the Fen Orchid will find a home at Hurdle Hall thanks to a major grant from Viridor, one of the UK's leading waste management companies.

A substantial grant from the Viridor Credits Scheme has enabled the National Trust to purchase 103 acre Hurdle Hall Farm next to Burwell Fen as part of its Wicken Fen Vision, a unique plan to create a 56 sq km landscape scale nature reserve between Cambridge and Wicken Fen. The Viridor Credits Scheme distributes money that Viridor would otherwise pay as Landfill Tax on rubbish it disposes at its landfill sites.

Speaking on the purchase of Hurdle Hall, Patrick Capper, Chief Executive of Viridor Credits said: "The Wicken Fen Vision stood out as a worthy recipient of our Community Wildlife Award. Not only will our funds be used to protect one of the most biologically diverse areas in Europe but we'll also be allowing many future generations to enjoy this wonderful and beautiful area."

The purchase of Hurdle Hall will enable the National Trust to undertake habitat restoration on Hurdle Hall and adjacent Burwell Fen to restore over 500 acres of former arable land to grazing marsh, wet woodland, reedbed and fen, priority habitats in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. In the short term new species likely to colonise the area include the Water Vole, Hen Harrier, Skylark and Brown Hare. In the longer term, new woodland and fen will become established and less mobile species will colonise the area including the Great Crested Newt, White Clawed Crayfish and Fen Orchid.

Wildlife won't be the only benefactors, Viridor funds are also being used to create a new way marked walk starting from the Wicken Fen visitor centre taking in Sedge, Bakers and Burwell Fens together with Hurdle Hall. Named the Viridor Walk, it will enable visitors to view and learn about habitat management from the un- drained ancient Sedge Fen to land in various states of transition back to grazing marsh and Fen. It is planned to link this into the main public access spine route through the centre of the Vision with a bridge over Reach Lode for pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders. It is hoped that this will be in place by 2010.

Philip Broadbent Yale, National Trust Area Manager said "The Trust is extremely
grateful to Viridor for their support of the Wicken Fen Vision. The financial support provided via Viridor will enable the Trust to achieve three key objectives of the Wicken Fen Vision, wildlife conservation, provision for public recreation and environmental education."

For further information please contact: Howard Cooper, Communications Officer, Wicken Fen Tel 01353 720274 Mobile 07826 874133 or e-mail howard.cooper@nationaltrust.org.uk

Notes

1. The Wicken Fen Vision was launched by the National Trust in 1999. Full details of the Wicken Fen Vision can be viewed at www.wicken.org.uk
2. Wicken Fen was purchased by the National Trust in 1899, the first Nature Reserve owned by the Trust.
3. Wicken Fen is one of the most important surviving areas of wetland in Western Europe home to over 7,800 species.