Half a century marked at Rostherne nature reserve (From Knutsford Guardian)
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Half a century marked at Rostherne nature reserve
5:00pm Tuesday 16th October 2012 in News
HUNDREDS of people turned out in September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rostherne Mere National Nature Reserve.
The 120-acre hectare reserve, one of the only two NNRs in Cheshire, is well-known for populations of over-wintering ducks and summer-visiting Reed Warblers.
Natural England, which manage the site, and Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society, which run the bird observatory, welcomed residents and visitors from as far afield as Cambridge and Hereford.
These included Philip Oswald, the NNR’s first warden in the 1960s, Tom Wall, Rostherne warden in the 1970s, and Peter Twist, who used to bicycle to the site from his parents’ home in Sale as a teenager 50 years ago to record the birds there.
Visitors enjoyed tours of the nature reserve in glorious sunshine, and a barbeque in the grounds of Egerton Hall.
Peter Day of Sale, a voluntary warden at the NNR for 33 years, was presented with a photograph to mark his long service.
Clive Richards, Chairman of CAWOS, said: “Lots of Cheshire people don’t appreciate what a gem they have on their doorstep, so this open day helped to open their eyes as well as to celebrate the anniversary.”
Permits to use the bird observatory are available from cawos.org/rosthernemere.htm
