The wildlife trust is appealing to the public to help them find the final £150,000 by December 1 to buy wetland to save curlews, writes fundraiser MATTHEW CHAMBERS

A total of £850,000 could see the doubling of a wetland haven where the curlew, a rare and threatened wading bird, is hanging on by a thread. The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust has been given first refusal on the purchase of the site near Bicester, but needs to find the money by December 1 or the opportunity could be gone forever.

The 143 acres of land at Gallows Bridge Farm is next to BBOWT's Upper Ray Meadows Nature Reserve.

The trust's fundraising campaign has got off to a good start with a generous legacy and a £200,000 grant from the Landfill Communities Fund of Waste Recycling Group Ltd (WRG), distributed by Wren. Other applications are in the pipeline, but BBOWT has launched a public appeal to raise the £150,000 it still needs to help save the haven.

The floodplains of the tributaries of the Thames, like the River Ray, are a typical feature of Oxfordshire and they have some very special wildlife which depends upon them. Wet flower meadows filled with cowslips, great burnet, green-winged orchids and sedges provide a rich habitat for wildlife, especially wading birds like curlew, lapwing and snipe.

But centuries of drainage for agriculture and development have dried up much of the land and the wildlife along with it.

Wading birds have suffered, as Nigel Phillips, Head of Landscape Projects at BBOWT, explained: "Over the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic decline of at least 40 per cent in curlew, snipe and lapwing numbers directly as result of habitat loss.

"Gallows Bridge Farm is one of the few places where the shy curlew still breed and it's one reason why this is such a wonderful opportunity. After all, you know you are in a wild place when you hear the haunting, trilling cry of the curlew. It's something you never forget."

If BBOWT can acquire this land, it has plans to restore the traditional floodplain environment for both wildlife and people. These include returning the Tetchwick Brook, which runs through the site, back to its original course so that it will flood the meadows regularly rather than houses and gardens downstream.

"Wetlands are an important means of natural flood defence, and with the terrible scenes of devastation over the summer, it is vital that these natural areas are protected and restored. When wet meadows are managed properly they act as nature's blotting paper, absorbing water rather than having it rush off the land and causing potential problems downstream in centres like Bicester and Oxford,"said Nigel.

New shallow pools and ditches will also be created to develop a wetter habitat in which curlew and lapwing will thrive.

Existing floodplain meadows will be carefully restored to their former glory and new meadows will be created by spreading wildflower seed from nearby. In summer, the area will be buzzing with bees, butterflies and dragonflies and the meadows will be awash with colour.

The land for sale has ben the subject of several planning applications, including for holiday cottages and agricultural barns.

Nigel said: "Although each development is only small on its own, together they form what we call creeping development', slowly eating away at the countryside and our wildlife. Once one planning permission is granted it becomes harder to refuse other similar ones, and so our countryside is gradually eroded. This kind of development has a major impact on our wildlife."

The trust hopes to create a small, eco-friendly visitor centre as a public access to the reserve. It also plans to use part of the restored habitat to demonstrate conservation to landowners, schools and enthusiasts.

Acquiring Gallows Bridge Farm would be a huge boost to BBOWT's efforts to link its nature reserves and form a wildlife corridor', stretching along the River Ray down to the RSPB nature reserve at Otmoor.

Nigel said: "We have to create large areas of habitat in partnership with others to help wildlife survive challenges like climate change. We want to help develop a sense of real pride about the special natural heritage of this area. Perhaps one day there'll even be signs saying Welcome to Curlew Country'."

Philippa Lyons, BBOWT's chief executive, said: "WRG and WREN's support is a tremendous foundation for raising the remaining funds that we need, but this is the biggest fundraising challenge we have faced in years and we desperately need the public's support."

To support BBOWT's Gallows Bridge Farm Appeal you can call BBOWT on 01865 788300 or give online at www.bbowt.org.uk