Welcome to the Northwest Ecological Trust website. Here you will find information about our work developing and managing Gorse Hill Nature Reserve, its wildlife and habitats, various surveys, latest news and how to find us.
The Trust values and relies upon its subscription supporters and volunteers so you can find information about how to subscribe, how to become a volunteer and the sorts of things you can do.
This website is regularly updated so please keep checking as we will be adding more information about the flora and fauna of Gorse Hill, latest news and more photos.
You can also find us on our official Facebook page click here
You can now follow us on Twitter click here
You can now follow us on Instagram click here
Our first event of the year we look forward to seeing you:
Sunday 18 July. National Garden Scheme Open Gardens Day. 11 am to 4 pm. Car parking is free.
Admission £5 per adult (children free) entitles entry to both Gorse Hill Nature Reserve and gardens at 72 Ludlow Drive Ormskirk.
We are opening Cabin Wood and our 5Acre wildflower meadow for the first time under the National Garden Scheme as a joint opening with our supporters Brian and Marian Jones of 72 Ludlow Drive Ormskirk L39 1LF.
Price entitles admission to both locations with very contrasting styles; we will have our woodland walks, wildlife ponds and wonderful wildflowers and grasses, whereas Brian and Marian have a beautiful town garden full of a wide variety of bee friendly plants, highly recommended to visit.
We will be running our café with tea, coffee and delicious homemade cakes. You will be free to wander around the woodland and meadow.
At Gorse Hill all admission proceeds will go to the National Garden Scheme and all other proceeds (sales of plants, solitary bee houses etc) and donations will be in aid of Gorse Hill Nature Reserve Charity.
We have National Garden Scheme leaflets available for you to take to see further details of our and other open gardens in Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester. To find out more about our event and others in the area you can also visit the National Garden Scheme website at https://ngs.org.uk/
We are continuing to open on Wednesdays and Saturdays 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. so that visitors can enjoy walking around Cabin Wood and the adjacent meadow.
Obviously there are restrictions due to Covid 19 and our priority is to keep our visitors and our volunteers safe.
There is a notice displayed explaining the restrictions which include no access to the Cabin, toilets or bird hide. There is a one way system in operation around the woodland and the meadow, all gates will be left open to avoid unnecessary contact. We request that social distancing of 2 metres be observed at all times.
Please make sure you read the information notice when you arrive
We look forward to seeing you
(6.1.21)
FOR SALE
Gorse Hill Orchards Apple Juice only £2.50 for a 500 ml bottle. Our delicious pasteurised pure apple juice is made from our Heritage Apples grown in our orchards.
Solitary Bee House just £25.
Solitary bees are non-aggressive and non-swarming. They are wonderful garden pollinators. Secure your box 1-2 meters high on a sunny, sheltered south, south-west facing wall, fence or tree. Eggs are laid in a series of cells, capped with mud until the slot is full. The larvae develop and over-winter in the slot and burrow their way out in the spring. Low maintenance – the bees will clear out the slot before laying new eggs!
Air dried logs £65 per tonne bag free delivery within 5 mile radius of Gorse Hill. Call Jonathan for details on 0776 212636
Small Bale Hay. Good quality small bale hay £4 a bale ready soon. We can deliver. Call Jonathan for details on 0776 212636
Bird Seed. Good quality Wild Bird Feeder Seed 2.5 kg bag £3.50
Kindling. £3 per net bag
LATEST UPDATES (last six months)
18.6.21 – Home Page – NGS Event
17.5.21 – Home Page – for sale adverts
14.5.21 – Out and About at Gorse Hill – A belated award presentation, blossom galore and wildflowers to spot
13.5.21 – Home Page – minor amendment to Dawn Chorus wording. Change of website header image
26.4.21 – Home Page – Dawn Chorus announcement
29.3.21 – Out and About at Gorse Hill – 24th March was a good day for photos and one plump little hedgehog!
17.3.21 – Out and About at Gorse Hill – More signs of Spring, curios lambs and watch out for the ‘deer’
6.3.21 – Home Page minor amendments to opening information and deletion of Snowdrop February advert
2.2.21 – Out and About at Gorse Hill – new 2121 front page. What can you see in Cabin Wood?
25.1.21 – Home Page – Snowdrop February
6.1.21 – Home Page – Reserve opening during Lockdown
1.1.21 – Home Page – removed seasons greetings and Boxing Day opening entries
20.12.20 – Home Page seasons greetings and Boxing Day opening
15.12.20 – Out and About at Gorse Hill – An essential job and views of Cabin Wood
7.12.20 – header changed. Home page adverts added and opening details amended
Registered Charity: 327788
Unless otherwise stated all images are copyright© of the photographers