Nind Nature Reserve

Nind Nature Reserve lies in Gloucestershire, near Kingswood and Wotton-under-Edge. It covers 3.75 hectares on the site of a former trout farm. The reserve is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and leased from the landowners. It forms part of the Berkeley Vale Water Vole Recovery Project’s habitat enhancement scheme. Adjacent areas include wet woodland and a stretch of Ozleworth Brook, all designated as a Key Wildlife Site. Water voles are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Their decline has been caused by habitat loss, mink predation and changes in river management. The reserve was restored to stabilise water levels and improve connectivity with downstream populations. Volunteers helped cut back alder growth and install fencing to support water voles. Bird species recorded here include dippers, kingfishers and herons. Visitors walk beside the old farm’s water channels where voles are seen and heard. The remaining back channels form the reserve’s main habitat. Restoration work has created stable water levels and reduced risks from predators. The site links to Ozleworth Brook, supporting a healthy water vole population downstream. The reserve offers a quiet place to observe wildlife in a managed wetland setting.