Marton Mere Digital Archive
– Prepared by the Friends of Marton Mere
Fylde Bird Club was founded to bring together like minded individuals that were concerned that Marton Mere could be lost to developers / recreational activities and to try and demonstrate that the site was of National Importance and deserved recognition and more importantly, protection.
That work by those founding members resulted in the Mere finally receiving designation as both a Site of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI) and as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR). However, work to manage and maintain those designations and the important habitats has continued to this day and continues to meet challenges along the way.
Evidence of that early work has been diligently curated and retained in a physical archive that is currently kept at the Marton Mere Visitor Centre (VC).
However, accessing the VC, and the archive, is not easy as the VC is only open for an hour or so a week when the volunteer rangers are working on site.
To overcome this access issue, the Friends of Marton Mere (FoMM) have created a digital copy of the extensive archive of documents that relate to the Mere. These documents date back as far as 1950! The work to digitise the entire archive is underway and will take some time to complete.
However, the first part of that digitisation process has now been completed and it has been published as an e-book which can be viewed on any internet/cloud connected mobile device or computer. You do not need to download the document to view it but download is available as an option.
The link(s) can be copied, shared and embedded on websites, social media pages, etc. as required to provide unlimited digital access to these wonderful archives, without damaging the originals.
Further work will now take place to digitise the 2000-2024 records along with other volumes on plant surveys, insect surveys and other site related records and these will be published and shared as they are completed.
The FoMM hope you enjoy access to this archive and we can all tip our collective hats and be thankful for the hard work and dedication of a small number of naturalists and birders who knew that this site warranted protection and ensured that this resource is still here today for everyone to enjoy. The separate sections are described as follows:-
The Archive is almost 500 Pages and has the following sections:-
Introduction:- A brief explanation of how the Mere was created following the last Ice Age, It’s historic uses and some of the earliest handwritten bird reports / species lists dating from 1952.
Section 1. Correspondence between local naturalists and bodies such as the RSPB, Nature Conservancy Council, Blackpool Council, Lancashire Naturalists Trust etc.
Section 2. Photographs, Press Articles and Reports from the 1960’s and 1970’s
Section 3. Letters, Correspondence, Maps and Reports written and retained by Maurice Jones over the period 1980-1997
Section 4. Various plans, maps and photographs from the 1980’s and 1990’s
Section 5. Friends of Marton Mere pamphlets, publications and news articles from 1997 onwards.
Description of a project to manage an area of the LNR for wildflowers
Marton Mere Wildflower Meadow Project
Marton Mere Warbler Survey 1999
Warbler Survey – 1999