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IN THE BEGINNING In l992 Yorkshire Water plc invited EYE on the Aire, an environmental lobbying group, to discuss with them the possibility of creating a wetland nature reserve on the site of a former sewage treatment works at Rodley. Dedicated volunteers representing local wildlife and naturalist groups formed a steering group and drew up an outline design for the reserve. Long years of negotiation, planning and fund-raising followed. The steering group became a charitable trust and Rodley Nature Reserve Trust now leases the land and runs the reserve. With extensive preparatory work from Geraghty & Miller and the advice of experienced ecologists at The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), the Land Wood and Water Company created the wetland areas in the summer of 1999. The reserve was opened on 28 July 2000 by the Environment Minister Micheal Meacher MP. |