The Friends of Paxton Pits Nature Reserve is the voluntary group which supports the conservation of one of Cambridgeshire's premier nature sites.

The Friends started in 1995 and now has a membership of over 2200. The Friends has recently registered as a charity.

Raising funds through sales at the Visitors' Centre and through membership subscriptions and donations generates over £10,000 for conservation each year. These funds have been used to assist the purchase and management of an extension to the reserve, refurbishment of the Visitors' Centre and new signs around the reserve, woodland and hedgerow management, telescopes and binoculars for use by visiting groups (particularly schools), tools for working parties, and to stage events to attract visitors and raise the profile of the Reserve.

A notable success was The Friends' winning entry in a hide competition in Birdwatching magazine - the Hayden Hide has been a very popular addition to the Reserve. Many of the events organised on the Reserve each year, including the popular Family Fun Day, are organised by The Friends.

Much of The Friends' effort is directed towards supporting the crucially important Voluntary Warden Scheme - very much the public face of the Reserve. Habitat management through regular winter working parties continues to make an important contribution to the Reserve and, like most of the Friends' activities, it provides a focus for volunteer involvement in the Reserve.

The Friends has a broad membership, including those who visit regularly or occasionally, from near or from afar; those who want to support the Reserve because it's there, and those who want to get involved.

If you have enjoyed a visit to Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, why not join The Friends today?