Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, recently joined Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Head of Conservation, Steve Lowe, for a tour of two of the Trust’s nature reserves in her constituency.

Catherine was invited to visit Big Waters and Prestwick Carr, following a meeting earlier this year with the Trust’s Chief Executive to discuss the charity’s work and the key issues facing wildlife in the local area.

Big Waters, located just north of Brunswick Village, is the largest subsidence pond in the region, formed in the 1920s by the collapse of deep mine workings. Amongst other wildlife, it serves as a habitat for a significant number of birds, including Arctic terns, tree sparrows, reed buntings, great crested grebes and grey heron – all of which Catherine saw during her visit to the reserve.

Prestwick Carr is a large, low lying wetland area located between Dinnington and Ponteland, on land owned by the Ministry of Defence.  Its central area has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it is a rare lowland raised mire (also known as marsh or bog).

Both reserves are managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, founded in 1971 to protect wildlife and promote nature conservation within Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland, and responsible for 48 different sites around the region.

Catherine said:

‘We are so lucky in Newcastle to live in a city with an incredible range of wildlife right on our doorstep, and it was fascinating to hear about the huge amount of work being done by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust to protect this for future generations. It’s also clear that the Trust’s many volunteers play a very important role in this work.

‘I really enjoyed my time at both Big Waters and Prestwick Carr, and would thoroughly recommend a visit to anyone wanting to get away from their busy lives and enjoy the beautiful wildlife and tranquillity Newcastle has to offer.’