30 October 2019
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Broadcaster and People’s Postcode Lottery charity ambassador Fiona Phillips visited the White Cliffs of Dover to see the impact of the National Trust's conservation work, protecting the site for the future.
A stretch of the chalky coastline was purchased by the National Trust, which has received £2,275,000 of funding thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit every year to see the magnificent landscape and take in the views.
The ongoing erosion of the chalk cliffs, which is what helps keep them famously white, is also the reason the charity’s work has been crucial in recent years.
Thanks to funding raised by players, the National Trust has been able to purchase 170 acres of land that extends back from the cliffs, ensuring they can continue to manage the area as the cliff line retreats.
National Trust aims to ensure the coastal path will remain open to the public so that the walk along the White Cliffs of Dover can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.
The purchased land is now being managed in a way that encourages both flora and fauna to thrive. Since the planting of wildflowers and indigenous crops, birdwatchers in the area have reported a huge increase in wildlife from bees to butterflies and native species of birds that haven’t been seen in the area for years including corn buntings, skylarks and Green hairstreak butterflies.
Fiona said: “The White Cliffs of Dover is such a special place – it’s been fantastic to visit an iconic British landscape. The efforts to protect wildlife here are so important and it’s wonderful to see the conservation project in action and to hear the songbirds singing in the fields again, thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.”