New Cornish nature reserve to protect insect-eating plant
Castle an Dinas, an Iron Age hill fort in Cornwall sits within the new national nature reserve
- Published
An area of countryside in Cornwall has been named a National Nature Reserve, aiming to help protect the rare wildlife that lives there.
The Mid Cornwall Moors is now one of 14 national nature reserves, supported by King Charles III.
The protected area covers more than 1,100 hectares - about the size of 1,500 football pitches.
They sit across an area of central Cornwall known as "clay country", because of its clay mining history.
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The moors are also home to the rare willow tit bird
The reserve includes a mix of habitats such as heaths, boggy wetlands (called mires), woodland and open moorland. These different environments create a "patchwork" where many plants and animals can live.
Many unusual plants and animals live there, including the rare willow tit bird, royal ferns and a tiny insect-eating plant called the round-leaved sundew.
There are also raised bogs filled with special mosses that help store water and carbon dioxide.
The moors are home to many unusual plants and animals including a tiny insect-eating plant called the round-leaved sundew
Some of the landscape has been shaped by people for thousands of years.
The reserve includes ancient sites such as Helman Tor and Castle an Dinas, an Iron Age hill fort built more than 2,000 years ago.
It it also features Goss Moor, which is linked to the legend of King Arthur.
Tony Juniper, Chairperson of Natural England said that "by bringing these landscapes together under one reserve, we are not only helping to restore precious habitats but also creating more opportunities for people to connect with nature, history and the unique character of this part of Cornwall for generations to come."
