CUMBRIA Wildlife Trust has been awarded £17,397 to help visitors have an even better experience at Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve.

Three benches will be installed at key viewing points: the osprey platform, raised viewing tower and the dragonfly ponds platform, and a picnic bench will be installed near a new bird feeding and viewing area.

Paul Waterhouse, Southern Reserves Officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, says: “These new visitor facilities will make for an even more enjoyable experience for visitors to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve.

“The new benches will enable people to sit and enjoy this special place for longer. The visitor guide will explain why Foulshaw Moss is so special and what wildlife can be seen there.”

People will also be able to understand more about the wildlife at the nature reserve thanks to 15 new explorer backpacks for young visitors complete with spotter sheets, binoculars, bug viewers and simple ID.

The grant from Tarmac Limited Landfill Communities Fund will also fund the removal of 12-15 hectares of rhododendron and western hemlock from the site.

Paul adds: “Since the completion of the restoration of Foulshaw Moss in 2014, invasive rhododendron and western hemlock have been establishing on the moss.

“In order to protect the habitat in it best condition for wildlife, we need to remove the invasive species creeping on to the periphery of moss to prevent it taking hold.”