Mere Sands Wood
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| Mere Sands Wood | |
|---|---|
 The main lake | |
  Location in West Lancashire | |
| Coordinates | 53°38′08″N 2°50′14″W / 53.635491°N 2.83709°W |
| Created | 1982 |
| Operated by | Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside |
| Status | SSSI |
| Website | Official site |
Mere Sands Wood is a 105 acres (42 ha) nature reserve between the villages of Holmeswood and Rufford in west Lancashire, England, managed by The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside. It lies about five miles from Ormskirk. The name derives from when the area was on the shore of Martin Mere.
Wildlife
Situated near Rufford, Lancashire,[1] the reserve comprises lakes, mature broadleaved and conifer woodland, sandy, wet meadows and heaths,[2] standing on layers of sand and peat, deposited over boulder clay during the last ice age.[2] It covers 105 acres (42 ha), and includes a visitors centre, two nature trails, six wildlife hides, and one viewing platform.[1]
The reserve is visited by over 170 species of birds, 60 of which have bred there. There are also regular sightings of roe deer, stoats and foxes,[2] a total of 17 species of mammals within the area[3] including a small population of red squirrels. Fifteen species of dragonfly can be found at the reserve, ten of which have bred there.[1] The woodland consists mainly of birch and oak trees with a Scots Pine plantation, where the red squirrels reside.[4] There also 200 species of fungi found at Mere Sands.[3]