TK Maxx Hatfield

Hertfordshire & Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) is the leading voice for wildlife conservation in our region. We care for wildlife - Together with our members and volunteers, we work to protect and enhance wild places across Hertfordshire and Middlesex, both on our 40 nature reserves and throughout the wider countryside. We manage natural landscapes - We manage nearly 2,000 acres of land for wildlife across Hertfordshire and Middlesex, from rare patches of heathland to wonderful wetlands. We connect people with wildlife - Through our events and training courses, we help people to understand and appreciate the wildlife around them. Our vision is for an environment rich in wildlife for everyone and we manage over 40 nature reserves; advising landowners and planning authorities, and inspiring local people to take action for wildlife. Our status as a long-standing local independent conservation charity means we have an unrivalled knowledge of the landscape, ecology and communities of Hertfordshire and Middlesex, enabling us to be uniquely responsive to local needs. We are deeply embedded within and respected by the local communities we serve: we have over 22,000 members, 600 volunteers and strong relationships with landowners, community groups, local authorities, and private and voluntary sector organisations. We have been shortlisted by Neighbourly for an environmental clean-up grant for our project focussing on invasive species. Our project will help to remove invasive species from our nature reserves in order to allow the rarer and more delicate species to thrive. For example, a number of our wetland nature reserves, including Tewinbury and Rye Meads, have an invasive plant called Himalayan Balsam which grows incredibly quickly and is dominating and out-competing the more delicate grasses and wildflowers. Our project will work with volunteers to remove the Himalayan Balsam by pulling it up at the root, leaving space for more delicate species, such as butterbur and golden saxifrage wildflowers, to grow and thrive, increasing biodiversity. For more information about HMWT please visit our website where we have details about upcoming events and the opportunity to become a member of the Wildlife Trust: https://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/