Vernatt's Nature Reserve contains woodland, a wildflower meadow and pond and marsh habitats for creatures ranging from the rare water vole to the grand kingfisher.

Jeff Goodley is employed by South Holland District Council to keep watch over the reserve as warden and is on the hunt for willing volunteers to help him in his crusade to preserve the area and let wildlife flourish.

Jeff has enjoyed birdwatching for the last 40 years.

He now spends a lot of time trimming back hedges and maintaining the environment and would welcome help with manual tasks and such jobs as litter picking.

He said: "Vernatt's is a special place. On a summer's evening it is a lovely place to come for a walk.

"Because we are so close to The Wash we get quite a few rare birds visiting as they go past.

"The water vole also burrows here and that is a red list protected species. If we don't preserve their environment then it would have a serious effect.

"If we lose one more site where they live then that would be something lost forever.

"It is nature but we have to preserve and conserve it, not just sit back and let it go to rack and ruin.

"If the meadow was not cut back it would just be nettle and another bit of scrapland."

He says there are some real treasures to be seen, including the adders-tongue fern, yellow rattle and broad-leaved helleborine.

Eagle-eyed visitors might also be able to spot a turtle dove and can also enjoy watching the pond's native kingfishers in action.

Jeff said: "The area is absolutely timeless. You just cannot put a price on that."

The reserve can be accessed from a footpath at Chiltern Drive Playing Field, off West Elloe Avenue, and other paths off Pinchbeck Road at Sharp's Bridge and the Royal Mail Cart pub.

It comprises of a disused railway path, an old shooting ground and a fishing lake left to go wild.

The area was recognised as a nature reserve in 1999.

The routes are walked daily by a dog owning fraternity and friends regularly bump into each other while taking their pets for a daily trek.

Many of the walkers come across deer on their trips through the wild habitat of Vernatt's.

Jeff is happy to meet anyone who thinks they can help him to maintain the area and is keen to find out more about the wildlife it contains.

Jeff wants everyone to be able to appreciate its wild beauty.

He said: "I want to develop contacts with local primary schools and I can go to them and give a presentation about the place.

"It is something of a hidden gem and I think it is time people knew it was here and used it.

"The rewards for me come when, in the summer, you see the place in its glory with spring and summer flowers, birds and insect life.

"Considering it is more or less in the middle of town it is really quite phenomenal.