Habitat creation at Charnwood Forest’s newest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has been boosted thanks to support from Charnwood Forest Geopark.
Johnson’s Meadows is a 16 acre wildlife haven between the villages of Woodhouse Eaves and Woodhouse, featuring unspoiled grasslands rich in rare wildflowers. Declared a SSSI by Natural England in 2020, the land has been handed down through three generations of the Johnson family, and they continue to manage the meadows in a traditional and environmentally sympathetic way.
Landowner Claire spoke to us about some of the recent pond creation work that has been supported by the Geopark:
“Since our designation, we have worked closely with the Woodhouse Parish local heritage warden who has been very supportive. They informed us of the Charnwood Forest Managing The Landscape Grant scheme. After a meeting with Julie Attard, we went ahead and put forward a proposal and application for funding for pond creation. Turning a damp boggy corner of our ancient meadow into a new habitat for wildlife.”
“This was our first grant application, so we were very pleased to be awarded just under £10,000 to take forward the concept, and after two years of planning, the work began to build our pond in Autumn 2025.”
The pond creation project was implemented by the Trent Rivers Trust, calling upon their expertise in environmental project management. As part of ongoing monitoring work, timelapse cameras have been installed to survey the site and study its development.
Claire added, “The last six years since becoming owners of the meadows have certainly been a case of learning on the job as they say! Management of land comes with many challenges, especially in our case with the extra responsibilities of SSSI status, so… not only is the pond creation our first ever grant awarded project it is also our biggest to date! We had to get permission from many partners before proceeding with the build so seeing it now on site is very rewarding. We have created a ‘Pondering Corner’ that will be a legacy, a quiet place for humans to sit while watching the new habitat develop and mature.”
The Managing the Landscape Grant is one of two small grant schemes run by Charnwood Forest Geopark, using support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. You can discover more in these schemes, and see if your project is eligible, here.
The completed pond at Johnson’s Meadows SSSI.