A place of beauty and enchantment - tiny park in central Grimsby is a secret wildlife reserve

                                                        

Ainslie Park - mini nature reserve in the heart of Grimsby

A LITTLE-known nature reserve in the heart of Grimsby will be in the spotlight on Saturday.

Experts will be recording what is believed to be a rich variety of wetland birds, plants, mammals, amphibians and insects.

It will also offer members of the public the opportunity for visitors to see the site and chat with local environmentalists about the park's importance.

Formerly a cemetery, Ainslie Park has partially flooded giving rise to permanent and temporary standing water which is fed by a blow-well.

This weekend's event has been initiated by The Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union and is being promoted by North East Lincolnshire Council which says the findings will be valuable to its small ecology team in future management of the site.

Says NELC ecology manager Rachel Graham: "For the most part we like to leave our wildlife environments as undisturbed as possible to allow them to thrive naturally.

"As custodians of the wildlife and flora and fauna in our parks, however, it is vital that we carry out species recording on a regular basis, which also helps us to identify any areas that may need management.

"We are very happy to be teaming up again with the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union whose members will be  available to offer their views on how important sites like this are to the natural environment of the borough."

Saturday's event will take place between 10am and 4pm.

                                          

These trees in the park may be dead but they are likely to provide precious habitat for insects, birds and possible small bats