WILDLIFE at a Hillingdon nature reserve is getting a boost thanks to a grant of almost £30,000 from the Veolia Environmental Trust.

It will enable London Wildlife Trust volunteers to improve and expand areas of species-rich grassland and hedgerow.

At Yeading Brook Meadows, flower-rich grassland supports a rich variety of wildlife.

During the warmer months, grass snakes and slow-worms sun themselves to a background chorus of chirping crickets and grasshoppers, while house sparrows hop through the hedgerows and, at dusk, barn owls silently swoop in search of mice and voles.

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Volunteers have been working alongside London Wildlife Trust at this location for 30 years.

This year, thanks to funding from Veolia, contractors will help clear low-quality scrubland from the meadows, giving native herbs and grasses the space to grow.

The work will also remove dense vegetation, which is currently obscuring the river, allowing visitors to view and enjoy the brook as it flows through the meadows. Yeading Brook Meadows are free to visit at all times.  

Yeading Brook Meadows is one of five London Wildlife Trust reserves recognised with a Green Flag Award.