Rangers, volunteers and campaigners have celebrated 50 years of conservation at Formby.
The mile-long stretch of dunes and pinewoods on the Sefton coast was acquired by the National Trust in 1967, following a £20,000 fundraising appeal.
Family on Formby beach. (c) Chris Lacey/National Trust Images
Following recent positive reports about red squirrels in the north of England, we revisit the story of the red squirrels at Formby. Countryside Manager Andrew Brockbank charts a challenging few years for the red squirrels on this stretch of the Sefton coast in Lancashire.
National Trust Formby is in the heart of the Sefton Coast pine wood reserve of 400 hectares (1000 acres).
The surrounding landscape is part of the North Merseyside red squirrel stronghold, which extends from the northern fringes of Liverpool to Southport, including part of West Lancashire.
Pine woods are a very valuable habitat for red squirrels. At Formby they can be at high density of up to one red squirrel in every acre.
Red squirrels eat a variety of berries, seeds and shoots of trees but pine cones and seeds form the mainstay of their diet.
Matthew Oates, Nature and Wildlife expert for the National Trust, reflects on the weather so far this year and looks at how it has affected our wildlife.
“This winter was one of the stormiest on record and the wettest since 1766. Despite this, it was also the mildest winter in more than 100 years
Countryside Manager Andrew Brockbank charts a challenging few years for the red squirrels at Formby on the Sefton coast in Lancashire.
