Taunton Longrun

Longrun is a key site in the Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Routes to the River Tone project, which aims to encourage people to explore Taunton’s green spaces, and to meet the wildlife that lives there, inspiring them to reconnect with the natural world. Because it is through making that reconnection that we begin to value that wildlife, and the places it calls home. We also begin to understand why it is so important to protect the network of green and blue spaces that runs through Taunton, allowing wildlife to move, freely, through our town, making it such a fantastic place for wildlife, and for people, now, and into the future. For more information about the project please visit our website http://www.somersetwildlife.org/routestotherivertone

The Wildlife Trusts

Intrinsic Value

Running alongside the river Tone, Long-run Meadow acts as one of the major wildlife corridors linking the centre of Taunton with the wider countryside to the west. This corridor enables the more uncommon species, such as bats, otter, water vole and kingfisher, to move freely into and out of the town, and is one of the key reasons why Taunton is so rich in wildlife.

The Wildlife Trusts

Emotional Value

Whether it’s a brisk lunch time walk, or a more leisurely afternoon stroll, the network of paths around Longrun Meadow encourage you to explore the natural world at your own pace. With its range of habitats there is always something to see and, as you watch nature unfold around you, you relax and unwind, forgetting the cares that our busy lives bring and enable the natural world to weave its magic, restoring mind and soul.

The Wildlife Trusts

Financial Value

Longrun Meadow was designed to provide flood water storage to protect the town of Taunton, holding water back, preventing the massive surges which have, historically, been responsible for damage to the town in the past. Making use of a natural resource in this way demonstrates the services that, properly thought through, nature can, and does, provide, free of charge, while also saving society the cost of repairing the damage a lack of these facilities can entail.

The Wildlife Trusts

Societal Value

Longrun Meadow is the largest publicly accessible open green space in Taunton, less than 15 minutes’ walk from the town centre. Popular with Taunton’s large urban population, it provides a green, calm and tranquil contrast to the built up area and acts as a gateway to the wider countryside, encouraging people to explore further. For those visitors using the park and ride to the west of Taunton, it offers a wonderful, scenic, route into the heart of the town.

The Wildlife Trusts

Get Involved

Longrun is a key site in the Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Routes to the River Tone project, which aims to encourage people to explore Taunton’s green spaces. As well as practical work across a range of sites in town, including hedge laying, creating wildflower meadows, tree planting. We also undertake surveys for wildlife, like otters, bats and water voles, providing the training and equipment needed for volunteers to take part. If you would like to know more, or get involved, we’d love to hear from you, please visit our website, http://www.somersetwildlife.org/getintouch or email us at rivertone@somersetwildlife.org

Somerset Wildlife Trust in the county’s largest conservation organisation, working across the county to; Stand up for nature; Inspire people and communities to value and protect nature and to create sustainable ecological networks to rebuild Somerset’s natural environment. We manage 72 nature reserves spanning more than 1,700 hectares across Somerset, most of our nature reserves are open year-round and offer free access to stunning wetlands, woodlands and wildlife flower meadows.

For more information about the Trust, please visit; http://www.somersetwildlife.org/index.html

Taunton Longrun

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