Boardwalk Joy for Wildlife Lovers

A stunning Nottinghamshire wildlife reserve is now amongst the most accessible in the UK for the less able bodied, thanks to a joint initiative between Rotary, HBPW and a leading conservation charity.

A 100-metre boardwalk running from the visitor centre car park at Retford’s Idle Valley Nature Reserve, right into the heart of the wildlife area, is now open following a major fund-raising campaign.

“It means that people who have historically struggled to enjoy this wonderful facility – namely wheelchair users and other ambulant disabled – will now be able to access it easily and observe amazing birds and wildlife at close quarters,” said HBPW’s Managing Partner, Paul Withers.

Paul, also a member of the Retford branch of the international service organisation Rotary, worked alongside fellow Rotarians and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, to make the idea come to practical fruition.

The new boardwalk at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve

Rotary raised the necessary funds to pay for project materials, whilst HBPW commissioned a topographical survey and employed the facilities of its civil and structural engineers to design and detail the boardwalk.

Idle Valley Nature Reserve is part of the Idle Valley Project area, managed by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust – a beautiful 450-hectare network of lakes, wetland, grassland and scrub. The reserve also includes the 300 hectare nationally designated Sutton and Lound Site of Special Scientific Interest – one of the largest in the county.

Paul added: “This spectacular wetland site is the size of 600 football pitches and is one of the largest of its type in the East Midlands. I am delighted that we have played our part in opening it to a wider audience.”