About Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Short eared owl © Gareth Rees
About us
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts working across the UK. With the invaluable support of volunteers and members we manage over 50 nature reserves. We also work with other organisations and landowners to protect and connect wildlife sites across the county and inspire local communities and young people to care for wildlife where they live.
Our Vision for a Wilder Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Find out more about our plan for nature’s recovery
Our vision for a wilder future is beautiful and vital:
We want great places to live that are good for people and good for wildlife.
We want nature to be normal, for children to grow up with wild green spaces to explore.
We want a deafening din, a cacophony of chiping, churring and buzzing.
This county’s natural diversity is possibly unsurpassed in the UK, and when you add the unspoiled habitats of the Isle of Wight you have an internationally important assemblage of wildlife. Some of these sights are almost unique, notably our chalk streams and sandy lowland heaths.
And importantly, most of these places are accessible to us all, in the fantastic collection of nature reserves managed by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
More about us
We make space for wildlife
Today we look after more than 50 nature reserves and other land, creating a growing network of wildlife havens across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
We bring wildlife back from the brink
Despite national declines, our work is improving the fortunes of important species like Duke of Burgundy butterfly, water vole and avocet.
We stand up for wildlife
We are the voice for wildlife and wild places with government, local authorities and others. We use our experience, evidence and expertise to help to shape decisions and get the best results for wildlife.
We connect people and wildlife.
We offer hundreds of events, activities and classes throughout the year - giving people of all ages the chance to experience and learn about our incredible natural treasures.
News about our work
Huge thresher shark is the latest of six murals to be painted around the Solent this summer
The murals celebrate the Solent’s extraordinary marine life – with the latest marking the start of National Marine Week.
Roundtable on pollution in the River Test
On Friday 15th July Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North hosted a roundtable discussion regarding the recent pollution of…
New funding for 12 high‐impact projects to help tackle the climate crisis
The Wildlife Trusts unveil new nature recovery projects – restoring peatlands, saltmarsh, kelp forests, chalk grassland, wetlands and…
Read our latest blogs
Surveys help show how farms can work for wildlife
Arcadian Ecology, the Trust’s ecological consultancy, are carrying out surveys on Vitacress farms this summer, looking to understand how…
Tales from the Riverbank: Sue and Tony
Sometimes a change of scenery can make a world of difference. Guest bloggers Sue and Tony share their amazing journey towards a wilder…
Wildflower Planting at Cheriton
The Cheriton Stream runs through the heart of the village that shares its name. With support from Watercress and Winterbournes, its…