Staveley Nature Reserve in North Yorkshire has been awarded a grant of £474,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The money will be used by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT), which has owned and managed the 40 hectare site north east of Knaresborough since 2002, to buy another 40 hectares of adjoining land and extend the reserve to double its existing size. The scheme will feature plans to improve the site ecologically and run programmes to enable the public to play an active role in its management. Up to 100 volunteers will have the opportunity to get involved over a two year period, taking part in the YWT's vision of a "living landscape" where large areas of land are managed for their ecological interest and connected by green corridors.

Fiona Spiers, head of the HLF for the Yorkshire and the Humber region said: "HLF is a supporting partner for the International Year of Biodiversity and delighted to play a major part in improving and extending this unique nature reserve in North Yorkshire. "Lottery players' money will bring benefits to people of all ages, whether through volunteering, or simply enjoying the wonderful natural habitat that Staveley has to offer, whilst conserving the delicate ecological environment of the site for future generations."

Formerly known as the Staveley Carrs and part of the natural floodplain of the River Ure, the reserve's shallow open water lagoons, grasslands and meadows are home to many special and rare species of locally and regionally important flora and fauna. Image: Mdf