The charity – who have been working to protect wildlife and wild places in Staffordshire for over 50 years - exchanged contracts this week to add Craddocks Moss, a unique lowland raised bog in Newcastle-under-Lyme, to its stable of 30 existing nature reserves which it owns or manages.

The Trust has been inundated with donations from members of the public after launching a public appeal to raise £75,000 to purchase the site earlier this year.

Its vision for the reserve includes attracting endangered and long-absent species such as the water vole, and the insect-eating sundew plant; birds such as willow tit and curlew; the rare bog bush cricket; the whitefaced darter dragonfly; and the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly.

Perhaps most excitingly of all, the Trust think Craddocks Moss could be the perfect location for reintroducing beavers to the county after over 400 years of local extinction.

Julian Woolford, Chief Executive of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Craddocks Moss is already a haven for rare plants like sphagnum mosses and cottongrass; and the four spotted- chaser dragonfly is making a cautious return.

“Managing this rare peatland site will allow us to build on that and give us the chance to protect endangered species. We have set out a vision for the site which we believe we can make a reality, making this site an oasis for wildlife.

“Thanks to the amazing support we’ve received to allow us to buy this site, we can now help save one of our rarest and most delicate habitats.”

Purchasing the site will help the Trust towards its aim to achieve a Nature Recovery Network in Staffordshire – a network that will improve wildlife connections, allowing species to move freely across a wider area.  This will help wildlife to flourish as well as bringing nature closer to people.

The appeal to raise the money to buy the site was launched as part of a national movement, #30by30, which is aiming to give 30% of the UKs land and water back to nature by 2030. 

The Trust is still welcoming donations to the appeal via JustGiving - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craddocksmoss.