Moss Valley Woodlands Nature Reserve

Managed by Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust thanks to support from members and volunteers, Sunnybank nature reserve is a small but hugely valuable green space where people can find trees and tranquillity, away from the noise of the ring road. Sunnybank nature reserve is particularly important for wildlife as it is the end of a green corridor which stretches through the leafy streets of Broomhill, to the Botanical Gardens and out through Endcliffe Park and Whitely Woods to the Peak District. Sunnybank was the very first reserve created by the Trust (then Sheffield City Wildlife Group) in 1985. The pool is surrounded by aquatic and wetland plants, and is home to several types of dragonfly, pond skaters and the common frog.

Managed by Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust thanks to support from members and volunteers, Woodhouse Washlands nature reserve comprises 53 hectares of grassland, scrub and floodplain grazing marsh. The Washlands’ mosaic of wet and dry grasslands, swamp, wet ditches, ponds and scrub are typical of the landscape which once fringed the River Rother as it passed through its floodplain. During the summer, swallows, swifts and martins can be seen feeding over the area, providing spectacular displays. The nature reserve is managed by a mixture of cattle grazing and periodic maintenance of the ditches, ponds and hedges. Metal sculptures have been installed along the route to represent the industrial history, plants and animals of the area.

Managed by Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust thanks to support from members and volunteers, Blacka Moor is the largest and most spectacular of the Trust's nature reserves. It contains 181 hectares of breath-taking scenery and forms part of a much larger internationally important wild landscape - the Eastern Peak District Moors - which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Unique features on Blacka Moor include the varieties of heather, the gradual transition from woodland to open moor and its population of bilberry bumblebees. A diverse migrant bird population includes willow warblers, black caps, cuckoos, wheatears, pied flycatcher, and stonechats. The ease and regularity of seeing red deer on site is a bonus!