Monkton Nature Reserve is celebrating a significant milestone after welcoming its 10,000th visitor of the year.
The record figure comes after hard work to rebuild visitor numbers after the Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
In Summer 2020 trustees for Monkton Nature Reserve had to make the painful decision to notify five paid staff of redundancy due to the continued closure forced by the pandemic.
The reserve was shut from March of that year through to June 2021. With no trading income for more than a year and a slump in membership the future had been uncertain.
But staff, Trustees and volunteers preserved, grants were secured and this year there has been a popular sculpture trail and the opening of the new environmental education dome.
Among the nature reserve visitors over the last year are children from 29 schools on outdoor learning trips, families and nature reserve members.
The McDowell/Hollands family were counted in on Sunday (October 13) to hit the 10,000 landmark.
Dr Clive Nuttman, who is adviser to the Trustees of the Thanet Countryside Trust which runs the nature reserve, said: “Hitting this visitor number is a major achievement for our charity and caps a superb summer for us.
“These record figures include our thriving education programme; we have now welcomed 29 different schools to the site on outdoor learning visits and are keen to hear from more schools that want to organise day trips that link with their curriculum topics.
“None of this could have been achieved without the work of our superb volunteer force, now numbering 64 people, doing everything from a few hours cleaning to major conservation work.
“We now have over 1200 members, mainly local families, and we are grateful for their support, in addition to our numerous funders, donors and foundations.”
There has also been a change of Trustees with Trevor Shonk stepping down as chair after a 13 year stint, although he remains a Trustee. The role has now been taken on by Vivienne Rose.
Trevor’s brother Les has stepped down as a trustee but is still a familiar face as a volunteer.
Dr Nuttman said: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that the trust might not have survived all these years without the incredible efforts of Trevor and Les to keep things going. Our current success is built on their dedication to Monkton Nature Reserve and the work of a team of fellow trustees, staff and, of course, the volunteers.”
Monkton Nature Reserve is a 16-acre former abandoned quarry on the outskirts of Ramsgate and boasts over 350 species of flowering plant, including the nationally scarce Man Orchid.
For more information visit: www.monkton-reserve.org
We used to go fairly often… until Stagecoach axed the bus service that went there! Great place (for people with cars).
Never been, but on your recommendation I think I’ll give it a visit.
I’d love to go, but it’s virtually impossible unless you have a car.
So amongst the nature being conserved is a car park.
We very occasionally get a bus to St. Nicholas and then walk there. It’s quite a treck though, particularly if bringing back books from the excellent secondhand bookshop!