AN OXFORDSHIRE conservation group is sharing the success of Wildlife Trusts across Britain that have seen membership numbers soar in the past decade.

Last month, membership of the 47 county-based Wildlife Trusts reached more than 400,000 -- giving them more members than Britain's leading political parties.

Collectively, the Wildlife Trusts have 80,000 more members than the Conservatives, traditionally the party with the highest membership, and more than Labour, which has 275,000 members, and the Liberal Democrats, with 73,000, put together.

The rise, an 85 per cent increase in seven years, was welcomed by the Littlemore-based Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, BBOWT. Membership of the trust, which cares for 35 nature reserves in Oxfordshire, has tripled in the past decade to nearly 18,000.

In Oxfordshire, the trust has nearly 7,500 members, more than a third of its total. BBOWT was originally set up in 1959 as the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Naturalists' Trust.

It said the rise was due to people becoming more aware of the need to protect their local environment.

Marketing manager Philippa Lyons said: "We're delighted because it means we can continue our work to conserve the few pockets of wildlife-rich areas we have left. More people are getting involved with environmental projects and realise that help is needed, before it is too late.

"People remember their childhood country walks with parents or grandparents and they want their children and grandchildren to experience the same.

"They are recognising that they can do something to help for the future."

BBOWT started a professional marketing campaign to recruit more members when it became part of the national Wildlife Trust partnership three years ago.