SUMMER may be long gone but work isn’t slowing at one wildlife reserve as preparations to ensure that a ‘vital’ wildlife corridor is maintained continue.

Volunteers at Carlton Marsh Wildlife Group are busy cutting trees back and making sure that a wildflower meadow has the chance to flourish.

The meadow is essential to wildlife, and provides food and shelter for many animals such as hedgehogs and types of bird.

Founder of the group, Cliff Gorman, said that it is important to preserve wildflower meadows as almost 95 per cent of the hedgerow in the country has been destroyed since the end of the Second World War.

“After the war there was a big focus on heavy farming, and that’s only got worse as the population has got bigger,” said Cliff. “But this means that hedgerows and wildflowers have been culled to make more room in fields to grow crop.

“Really this has been devastating for British wildlife because animals now can’t move around like they once did and their environment has shrunk by so much.

“Our aim is to bring back a safe space for nature and make sure they remain undisturbed so they can flourish and thrive.”

The group will be busy at work during the winter months as they can only cull trees once the sap has died down.

Their dedication to the environment has earned them a place in the Proud of Barnsley final next week in the Love Where You Live category.

“Our aim is to bring back nature,” added Cliff. “So much has been taken away, and now animals can’t safely travel from point to point, we want to make the wildlife reserve an oasis for them.”