We need to raise £15,000 this summer, to protect vulnerable wildlife from fires that destroy the irreplaceable habitats they rely on. 

It only takes a few days of dry weather and a strong wind for a fire to take hold on a nature reserve. Ground-nesting birds, small mammals, reptiles, and countless insects are the first victims. They lose their nests, their young and their food sources in minutes. Peatland dries out, unable to support moss plants or capture carbon. Worse still, the fire can smoulder underground and appear days later in a different place. This can cause another catastrophic blaze and yet more long-term damage.

Staffordshire's wild landscapes are special places - all are unique and irreplaceable.

When fire swept across The Roaches in 2018, more than 150 acres of precious moorland were burned in just a few days. Wildlife and plants dependent on the area were devastated, and decades worth of peat was lost, releasing thousands of tonnes of carbon. Ever since, we've been working to restore the landscape, but it is still scarred - it will take decades for nature to fully recover.

More recently, fire has damaged valuable lowland heath at Gentleshaw Common in Cannock Chase and the heathland at Ipstones Edge in the Staffordshire Moorlands. Both are Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Since April 2026, several small fires have burnt locally. Fortunately, winds were low and teams reacted quickly so they didn't take hold, but next time a fire could be catastrophic to nature.

With climate change driving hotter, drier conditions, the risk of fire is rising.

We want to protect the masses of nature that depend on these precious places like rare sundew and sphagnum plants, skylark, and nightjar birds, solitary bees, adders, shrews and brown hares.

To make this possible, we need to raise £15,000 this summer. This will help to reduce the risk of fire - creating stronger natural firebreaks, improving water access, and giving our teams the training and equipment they need to act the moment a fire starts. It will also help to restore habitats already damaged by recent outbreaks.

Please donate whatever you can. With your support, fire won't cause further devastation, and we will protect Staffordshire's special places and the wildlife that depends on them.

What kind of wildlife is vulnerable to fires?

Ground-nesting birds, small mammals, reptiles, and countless insects are the first victims. They lose their nests, their young, and their food sources in minutes.

Donate now

If we raise more or less than our target all donations will help us protect our reserves from fire and restore the habitats destroyed by them. 

For more information on how we will spend donations, please click here.