Nature lovers will be planting 1,000 hedging plants at a nature reserve in Warboys on Saturday in a bid to remember a woman from the village who died in 2017.

Nature lovers will be planting 1,000 hedging plants at a nature reserve in Warboys on Saturday in a bid to remember a woman from the village who died in 2017.

Volunteers are being sought to help with the project, called Madeleine’s Patch Nature Reserve, which was set up last year as a memorial to Madeleine Parnwell who lost her life just before Christmas 2017 when her car was submerged in a Fenland Crease Drain.

Mrs Parnwell, who was an environmentalist, died because she was unable to escape from her submerged car which had crashed just minutes away from the family home in Puddock Road, Warboys.

After her death, Mrs Parnwell’s family launched a £15,000 crowdfunding campaign to create the nature reserve as a living memorial to her.

The 1.3 acre reserve close to her home on the outskirts of Warboys is where the patch was set up as a learning resource for the community, and her husband Steve is asking for volunteers to help plant hedging in her memory on Saturday morning.

Steve said, “Our living landscape vision is set for another step forward on Saturday (March 9) when Madeleine’s Patch volunteers will help plant 1,000 hedging plants to grow into connecting green corridors and shelter/nesting habitat for a wide range of species.”

Mr Parnwell added: “A number of friends and supporters of Madeleine’s Patch have already volunteered to help plant the hedges this coming Saturday, but Madeleine’s reserve is very much a community resource, We therefore hope that members of the local community, even if they did not know Madeleine personally, will come along and assist us to enhance their local landscape for the benefit of wildlife. As the hedges mature, they will become havens for nesting birds, shelter for small mammals, hedgehogs, reptiles and insects.

“Even if you cannot do the physical work, a helping hand heating the soup and buttering the rolls for the hungry helpers would go down a treat. A great day out in the fresh air for all the family with a positive outcome in the company of fellow country lovers.”

Volunteers will be meeting at 9am on Saturday March 9 at First Turf Fen Drove Warboys, people should to report to Greenwillows Farm First Turf Fen PE28 2TZ .

Please let Steve know if you are coming by calling: 07786 443802 or emailing him at: steve@madeleinespatch.org.uk for further details.

To donate to the reserve, log on to: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/madeleines-patch.