Protecting Local Wildlife Sites in Kent

Protecting Local Wildlife Sites in Kent

In Kent, there are over 440 Local Wildlife Sites – covering a total area of over 27,000 hectares, (roughly 7% of the county). They range from the very small – a churchyard important for its orchids, to the very large – a grazing marsh of over 1,000 hectares.

There are several types of conservation designation which help to protect land for wildlife in the UK. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) protect the very best wildlife areas and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) protect areas which are important on a European scale. However, these designations alone do not fully protect wildlife at a local level, and cannot ensure that the countryside as a whole is rich in wildlife. Therefore Local Wildlife Sites – non-statutory sites – fill an important gap not covered by other designations and help to create a Living Landscape in which wildlife can thrive and move around.

Kent Wildlife Trust plays a key role in managing and protecting Local Wildlife Sites in Kent. The Trust maintains the county register of Local Wildlife Sites on behalf of the Kent and Medway Biodiversity Partnership Steering Group and is also involved with the practical conservation management of sites and with helping landowners to manage Local Wildlife Sites they have responsibility for.

You can find out more about the Trust’s work at: http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/local-wildlife-sites