CELEBRATING its 40th Anniversary this year, the Wildlife Trust in Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is the largest voluntary conservation organisation in the North West. And, with projects all over town, the Bolton office of the Trust is as busy as any. Frank Elson reports

THE ACCENT is obviously on wildlife -- somewhere in the world we lose three species of every hour.

But human beings count as well to the Bolton Wildlife Trust. We are part of the environment, too!

In Bolton, the Trust organises practical conservation -- transforming derelict land around the town into colourful cornfields and flower meadows; managing and maintaining sites such as Red Moss, Doffcocker and Eaton Lodge; helping with ideas, plans and practical work at schools.

In short, whenever and wherever the Trust can help the inter-relationship between wildlife and people, it is happy to step in.

Encouraging local community organisations to grow vegetables on allotments might not, at first sight, appear to be very wildlife-friendly, but the allotments are cultivated organically and wildlife in varying forms is encouraged -- as is recycling.

"It is always about the bigger picture" said Bolton's community projects co-ordinator Kim Patterson, "People may come first at the allotments, but recycling vegetable peelings and leaving some vegetables or plants to run to seed encourage certain types of wildlife."

Kim and his colleagues will help anyone, from Bolton Council to a community group, with a mixture of practical and planning assistance and even, in some cases, financial help.

As part of a national organisation they are well-informed about the grants and financial incentives available to local groups and will often help people to fill in forms and apply for the money -- even though, as a voluntary charity, they themselves are always hunting for their own funding. The most important wildlife site in Bolton is Red Moss at Horwich.

In fact, the Wildlife Trust was one of the organisations that fought for the right to not only preserve the "lowland raised mire", but to restore it. After helping to save it, the Wildlife Trust are delighted to have been offered the opportunity to manage and restore Red Moss on behalf of Bolton Council.

Like so many wildlife areas, Red Moss would destroy itself if left unmanaged. Vegetation grows, dies, then grows again on top of that. Over time, compost and vegetation would drive out the water.

In addition, cutting the peat from Red Moss over the years has lowered the water table. As the water disappears from Red Moss, scrub vegetation moves in so that eventually, if left to its own devices, just a woodland would appear. It may be strange to find that an organisation such as the Wildlife Trust, so involved in tree planting in many places, does not want them to grow on Red Moss!

"That is one of the fascinations of the work of the Trust" said

Martin Walker, conservation oficer for Greater Manchester, said: "Of course woodland is very important in many places, but Red Moss is an important habitat in its own right and to have a woodland and its wildlife here would be to lose the rarer wildlife that lives in the mossland."

"And mosslands are even rarer than woodlands these days."Another of the Wildlife Trust's key Bolton's projects is the Halliwell Organic Community Allotment. People in the area who have no gardens are now able to eat fresh vegetables they have grown themselves, thanks to the Trust's help and advice.

A number of local organisations use the allotments -- one of which is the Nai Zindagi Asian Women's food growing group. Nai Zindagi, which means 'New Life" in Urdu, allows local Asian women to work together in food production.

All the groups are able to recycle household garden rubbish and take part in schemes to promote wildlife.

"Both recycling and chemical-free gardening relies very much on using friendly wildlife to maintain a true balance in the garden," said community food projects officer, Jenny Hall.

"The net results include fresh, healthy vegetables, a safe home for some wildlife and fresh air and company for humans. It's like an outdoor community centre."The Wildlife Trust rented this allotment from Bolton Council initially and then offered space to the local community groups.

"It was a run-down, unused allotment so just putting it to use was a good idea in itself," said Kim, "We have talked to the council about managing other allotments in other parts of the town." It was a natural move for the staff and pupils of Eagley Junior School to turn to the Wildlife Trust for help and advice when they decided that they wanted to make the most of their school grounds.

Paul Sadler, an urban wildlife officer, worked closely with the school, asking in the first instance what they would like to do, then suggesting what they could do, then, as agreement was reached, helping them to do it!

"Schools often want to have some involvement in wildlife schemes," said Paul. "They also usually have the space but money is always a problem.

"Of course parents and friends help with funds and then we have to be as creative as we can." The Eagley Junior School venture was an example of the Trust's creativity: The headteacher wanted some form of seating around the playground. Certain types of large tree trunks have no use, even as firewood, to tree surgeons. In fact they often end up in landfill.

The result: the school now has tree trunks with flat areas cut into them to make interesting and innovative seating!

The grounds at Eagley have a number of wooded slopes and Paul was able to put forward a proposal to the school and have it accepted.

Where possible the children were involved, in planting bulbs and wetland plants around a pond, planting a hedge and making bird boxes and bird feeding stations.

Then, willow sculpturer Jeff Allen built some screens which enable children to watch birds feeding while remaining hidden.

Doffcocker Nature Reserve is owned by Bolton Council which also carries out most of the maintenance work. But the Wildlife Trust has carried out a lot of practical projects, providing nesting sites -- they are immensely pleased with the Tern Raft which has supported a breeding pair of Terns this year -- and other shelter for birds and small mammals.

Meadowland has been planted and a five-year plan has been drawn up. Doffffcocker has a management committee which has representatives of the Bolton Council, the Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, the Environment Agency and local people.

One of the lodges is also used by local fishermen. "It is a place where local people spend a lot of their leisure time," said Kim.