NatureSpot features over 500 sites across Leicestershire and Rutland as Wild Places. These showcase many of the best places to see wildlife in our area. Each Wild Place page displays all the records and accompanying images submitted to NatureSpot for that location, and these update automatically as additional records are received. A full species list for each site is available on these Wild Place pages. In addition, we have similar feature pages for whole parishes. These Parish pages work in a similar way: listing records, images and species for that parish.
How to find these pages
Menus to all the Wild Place and Parish pages are on the Home page. You can also view our map page of Wild Places in Leicestershire and Rutland where you can filter by county, parish or site name.
Private Wild Places
By arrangement, we can set up Wild Place feature pages for private gardens, grounds, farms, estates and other areas without public access. These work just as any other Wild Place page except they are not included in the menus and maps and are only viewable using the private URL provided. We ask for a donation for setting up a private Wild Place - the amount is up to you! Get in touch if you are interested by emailing info@naturespot.org
Adding new Wild Places
If you know of a site with wildlife interest that could be featured as a Wild Place page then let us know. Wild Places should meet the following criteria:
- must either be entirely in public access (such as a Country Park), or have a public right of way (PROW) through them or adjacent to them from which the site can be viewed OR the landowner has given consent for the land to become a Wild Place. (A PROW as defined by the Highways Authority: in Leicestershire; in Rutland).
- must consist largely of existing habitats of significance to wildlife - e.g. woodland, wetland, watercourse, heathland, open mosaic habitats, unimproved/semi-improved or species-rich grassland, parkland, orchard, scrubland. Sites which consist mainly of arable and cultivated land or just improved grassland are not suitable as Wild Places. (See Leicestershire's Biodiversity Action Plan and the Leicestershire and Rutland Local Nature Recovery Strategy).
Please note that NatureSpot's designation of a site as a Wild Place does not confer any legal or protected status to the land, and has no weight within the planning system. Neither does it confer any additional public rights of use or access to the land.
Adding a new Parish page
If your parish is missing from the list then do get in touch. We normally seek support from the relevant parish or town council so can approach them on request.