There are many ways in which you can help wildlife and people at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, which depends on the help and enthusiasm of volunteers. If you’d like to play a part, read on…

Practical conservation
Ensuring that Paxton Pits continues to be attractive to wildlife is an ongoing task. The Management Plan outlines work that needs to be done, including coppicing trees and opening up scrub to diversify habitat, managing the islands for waders and terns, and laying hedges in the traditional way.

If you’re available during the week, there are opportunities to work directly with the Ranger and his staff. Contact the Ranger, Jim Stevenson, on 01480 406795 or e-mail

During the winter, Weekend Working Parties are organised by The Friends of Paxton Pits Nature Reserve (FPPNR), supported by Bardon Aggregates and Huntingdonshire District Council Countryside Services.

If you have any questions concerning this Programme and/or want to receive a Programme, please contact either Ray Matthews (01480 215277), David Cobham (01480 475576), or Mike Thomas (01480 387749)

Scroll down to details of the Weekend Working Parties for 2011/2012.
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Voluntary wardening
If you’re a people-person, could you could help out in the Visitor Centre? Volunteer Wardens welcome visitors, provide information, refreshments and a friendly chat. Helping visitors to enjoy their time on the Reserve is a satisfying experience and only takes a few hours of your time each year. Volunteer Wardens operate a rota to open the Visitor Centre on most weekends.

To find out more, please call one of the Voluntary Warden Co-ordinating Team on 01480 472536 (David & Marjorie Chapple) or 01480 810744 (Jocelyn Gale) or e-mail

Surveys
If you can identify wildlife, particularly some of the less well known taxa, such as spiders or lichens, and could give some time to finding out more about the Reserve’s fauna, please contact the Ranger, Jim Stevenson, on 01480 406795 or e-mail
We’re particularly keen for someone to tell us about some of the invertebrates on the reserve, since only the butterflies and moths are currently monitored regularly.

The Wetland Birds Survey (WeBS) is undertaken every month from September to March, on behalf of the British Trust for Ornithology.

The Paxton Breeding Bird Survey (PBBS) is a co-ordinated count of the birds which breed around the Pits complex.

A botanical survey is being undertaken to monitor trends in some of the species for which the Nature Reserve is important. Volunteers are also mapping the presence of all plant species within the Pits complex. If you’re a keen wild plant enthusiast and would like to help, please contact Jocelyn Gale on

Wildlife records
Whether you’re a casual or regular visitor to the Pits, the wildlife which you see can add to our knowledge, especially if you tell us numbers and the locations of your records. Add them to the book in the Visitors' Centre or e-mail them to us at

Join the Friends
If you care about the wildlife at Paxton Pits, why not join The Friends of Paxton Pits Nature Reserve?

The Weekend Working Party Programme for 2011/12

Working Parties are run under conditions set by Huntingdonshire District Council. Volunteers must be aged 16 years or over.

All work parties start at 9.30 a.m. and go through to somewhere around 1.00 p.m. .

Work parties with a Q notation are taking place on the quarry so you need to be at the Visitors' Centre by 0930 to pick up transport. There is no other access to the quarry.

With one exception (8th Jan 2012), other work parties take place on the Reserve. Meet at the Visitors' Centre at 0930. If you are coming later, follow the direction map provided at the bridge-end of the car park.

Wear stout footwear and warm clothing. Tools, safety equipment and refreshments are provided.

Bad weather alert system. Sometimes we have to cancel work parties at short notice due mainly to the wet weather making conditions unworkable. We operate an email alert system where a note will be sent on Friday or Saturday if there is a probability of cancellation. If you wish to be alerted in this way please make sure we have your email address.

Sunday 2nd October - Willow coppicing on Hayling Lake
This reed bed is a valuable habitat for a variety of birds and insects and has recently been host to the rare Norfolk Hawker dragonfly. We will be continuing the willow removal programme and should be able to join together the two sections of reed bed.

Sunday 23rd October - Pond management - Q (see notes above)
There is a pond on the quarry that is an important habitat for the Great Crested Newt. Whilst we try to minimise disturbance to this area, we need to manage the encroaching willows to maintain the habitat. If left unmanaged the pond will become over-shaded and the excessive leaf fall will lead to it silting up. This reduces the viability of the pond as a breeding site for newts as there will be fewer suitable positions for egg laying.

Sunday 13th November - Pumphouse Pit shoreline - Q (see notes above)
There have been major changes to Pumphouse Pit over recent years. There are now some very shallow gradient banks, ideal for wading birds, and two vertical banks built for Sand Martins. When established this will be one of our best habitats. It is important to control willow regrowth along the shoreline to maintain this habitat.

Sunday 4th December - Island Pit silt marsh - Q (see notes above)
This area is part of the SSSI and is an important habitat for invertebrates. A recent study has shown that the encroaching willow trees have reduced the viability of the habitat so our job will be open up the area.

Sunday 8th January - Sailing Lake Islands
Our annual mowing and vegetation control on the two islands maintains the right habitat for a common tern colony and nesting waders. A recent spraying experiment has worked well so the plan is to follow up our mowing work with further spraying before the terns and waders return for the season.

Sunday 5th February - Pumphouse Pit North Scrub - Q (see notes above)
Continuing with the management work started last year to expand the clearing in the scrub area to the north of the pit. The Wildlife Monitoring Group completed a survey here last April and picked up encouraging signs of early flowers and early butterflies in this area.

Sunday 19th February - Hedge planting - Q (see notes above)
Today we will be extending the hedgerow that we planted along the boundary of the fields by Pumphouse Pit Meadow. The initial take last year was very good despite the wet ground but the later drought did a bit of damage so we have a bit of infilling to do as well.

Sunday 4th March - Southoe Brook
The vegetation on the banks of the brook is periodically cut and removed to maintain the biodiversity of the margins. The habitat is valuable for waterside flowers, dragonflies and damselflies. It is also an important route for otters moving between the River and the Heronry Lakes.

Sunday 25th March - Sycamore removal on Heron Trail
Although Sycamores are nice trees and their timber is good for furniture the invasive nature of the species does make them a problem on the Reserve. We will be removing selected trees from along the Heron Trail before they get out of hand.

This is our last work party of the programme so the normal bribery (bacon butties) applies.

We would like to thank Bardon Aggregates for their considerable support given to the Sunday work parties.

The Countryside Services rangers are an integral part of the Sunday work party activities and we are very grateful for their help and guidance.