Westbury wildlife park

Please help and continue to support us to reopen Westbury Wildlife Park in 2021. NEWS UPDATE November 2020we are overjoyed that we reached our first target which will cover the costs for insurance, tools and ppe for volunteers to get involved. We have also received a tremendous number of applications to get involved which we are organising for the new year with groups, bubbles and individuals to be able to come help and recreate this amazing space. We are now continuing to fundraise for ongoing management, care and plans for the park so we can make our way through the list of projects which can all be found on our new project page on the website www.wwpt.ukThank you so much everyone! It's all happening and wr couldn't be more excited to see you all down here next year. October 2020 Westbury Wildlife Park Foundation is:A community space to enjoy nature;A place where you can get involved in projects to preserve and protect local flora and fauna;A centre for environmental education, learning crafts, and nurturing creativity;A place to feel safe;A therapeutic natural environment; The situation with Covid-19 means that having access to safe outdoor spaces is more important than ever. After many years of closure and decay, we are  excited to announce that we intend to reopen Westbury Wildlife Park and are dedicated to turning it into an asset to the community once again. We have in place, a group of dedicated trustees and volunteers who are working hard towards restoring and reopening the park to the public. Our progress has been fantastic but the transformation is far from complete. There is much to do, and with your help, we believe it will be possible to reopen the park by next summer 2021. To achieve our goal, we need insurance, equipment and tools to be able to restore the park to a condition that is safe, has disabled access and facilities, and to restore the park to a place of beauty and biodiversity once more. We want as many people to benefit from the park as possible and are working to implement our carefully considered management plan. Phase 1 projects needing completion before we reopen:- Reinstatement of the old wildlife ponds;- Building wildlife surveys and creating a woodland and grassland management plan;- Building a forest play area for children;- Restoring the lawned area and picnic tables;- River clearance and maintenance, increasing biodiversity through careful planting schemes*;- Creating safe paths for woodland walks;- Renovating the cafe for food and beverages;- Renovating the workshop building for community and educational groups*.*Some projects will continue to evolve after the reopening. Phase 2: We also have a wish-list of future projects and welcome suggestions from the community too. The ethos of the park will be family and community oriented and we will implement policies that ensure both the natural wildlife and our local community are not negatively impacted by visitors’ activities or behaviours.In order to create a space that is safe and inclusive, we will:- make specific opening times for vulnerable groups during times of lockdown;- implement a no tolerance policy on anti-social or discriminatory behaviour;- retain control over activities at the park, e.g: events, community gardens and vegetable gardens;- agree a set of rules and behaviours by common consensus.We aim to have an open day for all contributors before the end of the year to show you all the progress we have already made over the past six months. It's been an incredible journey so far and now we need your help to continue.Many thanks for the whole team at WWPF