In 2021 Worcestershire Wildlife Trust bought 95 acres of land in the middle of nature reserves owned by the Trust and by Wyre Forest District Council. This created a block of over 600 acres of connected habitat and the biggest area of heathland in the county.

Heathland is Worcestershire's most threatened habitat - c98% has been lost in the last 200 years. Adjacent to the Trust's The Devil's Spittleful nature reserve, the Trust is already restoring heathland at neighbouring Blackstone Farm Fields and is now undertaking heathland restoration across the 95 acres of Dropping Well Farm.

Join host Lee Robinson as he takes a walk through this amazing landscape with the reserve manager, Andy Harris. You'll discover how heathland has evolved, why carpet is often found on the site, why rabbits are important and how we see this habitat developing in the long-term.

To keep up to date with what's happening at Dropping Well Farm, visit our heathland heroes blog.

The project has been made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Severn Waste Services, The Banister Charitable Trust, The Rowlands Trust, The Helen Mackaness Charitable Trust and generous donations from Trust members and supporters. Thank you.

Wet weather has been on everyone's minds recently so join volunteer podcast host Lee at Chapter Meadows in the heart of Worcester city.

On the other side of the river to the cathedral, Chapter Meadows play an important role in holding back water and slowing the flow. It's also a great place for communities to come together.

Meet Beth, the Trust's Wildlife and Wetlands Officer, to discover more about the role of places like Chapter Meadows as well as Connor, Wilder Worcestershire Project Officer, to hear more about the importance of community involvement. Owner Tom Greenway talks about the future and Lee wraps up by chatting to students from the University of Worcester who are taking time out of their busy schedule to help plant a new hedgerow onsite.

Connor's involvement at Chapter Meadows is thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help the Trust support communities to help wildlife where they live.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust has a long history of providing placements for trainees. Our alumni are scattered across the UK as well as overseas, from marine ambassadors to our own Head of Conservation and A Network for Nature Project Officer.

In 2019 we changed how the traineeships are run; we now offer five part-time voluntary placements each year for people to learn the conservation ropes. School leavers, graduates and career changers have the chance to learn on-the-job as well as through numerous training courses.

In our latest episode we hear from Owen, Lizzy, Sophie and Sam, four of this year's trainees, as well as 2020's 'graduate' Amy to discover more about the traineeship and the positive outcomes it can have.