Fant Nature Reserve

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Fant Nature Reserve

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Fant Nature Reserve is a special place for nature and community. The Fant Wildlife Group is a charity of volunteers from the local community.

There are benches to sit and ponder on, streams to hear flowing, native wildflowers, trees for children to scramble over, a budding orchard, wildlife and birds. The group was started in 1996 to manage an area of abandoned allotment gardens close to the town centre of Maidstone. The aim of the Fant Wildlife Group is to maintain and diversify the wildlife in the Fant Wildlife Area, to encourage educational use and local involvement. Work is continuing to create a diversity of habitats for wildlife on the site by building ponds, planting native trees and plants, and to encourage use of the site by the community. Fant Wildlife Group Reg Charity Number: 1088852

28/10/2026

Looking for something to keep young minds busy this summer? 🌿

We’ve launched two competitions — one photography, one art — and there’s a category made just for under-12s and one for 12–18s (as well as one for adults!). Perfect for a school-holiday project that gets everyone outdoors and looking closely.

The theme is *New Beginnings*, and Vinters Valley is full of them right now — dragonflies at the water’s edge, fledglings finding their wings, wildflowers everywhere you look. All they need is a phone, a camera, or a sketchbook.

📸 Photos taken in the reserve · 🎨 Art inspired by it (any medium, up to A3)
Create by 23rd August, enter by 29th August.

📩[email protected] / [email protected]
Full details and terms at www.vintersvalley.co.uk 🏆

16/10/2026

Small Mammal Survey – Hayle Park Nature Reserve, Sat 24 Oct 2026 - Ever wondered what small mammals live in the nature reserve ? Want to get up close with a field vole, wood mouse or shrew ? Then come along on our small mammal hunt and see if we have been successful with our overnight nest box tra...

15/10/2026

So many paths to walk along, and take it all in, at Fant Nature Reserve.

10/10/2026

We had a good turnout for this morning's work party. We continued clearing around the young trees in preparation for more tree planting later in the year.

We also cleared a huge amount of litter and old flytipped rubbish and maintained some side paths.

The work party was followed by our Harvest Home event. We shared food and drink made from ingredients foraged from the reserve.

04/10/2026

Just a reminder that after next Saturday's work party, we have Harvest Home!

Giving you plenty of notice for last minute foraging!

27/09/2026

ILLEGAL ENCAMPMENT

We have been asked by some of our visitors for an update on the ‘rough sleeper’ who has been making camps on the reserve since June.

Maidstone Borough Council welfare teams and the police are aware of the situation. MBC have had meetings with the chap to offer support but there is little progress in him moving on.

MBC leadership are also aware of the situation.

We have received great support from the community warden and local councillors.

The police have visited but did not see the chap. They say they saw nothing warranting police action - that is, he is trespassing but that isn't criminal.

We do not know if he is sleeping there, so if you visit the reserve early or late and have any information about this, please email us rather than commenting on this post. (Address below)

He has created four camps so far including an elaborate earthwork blocking one of our side paths. The current camp appears more like a covered work area than somewhere to sleep and is adjacent to a side path behind a memorial bench.

There has been a major flytipping incident a quarter of a mile from either entrance to the reserve and 20 yards from his camp. However, the police advise there is no clear link to the camp. MBC environmental services were asked to help clear the large pile of bulky metal and plastic cabling but initially denied we were part of council land, despite the MBC logo on the signage! A local councillor is helping to resolve this matter.

We are gathering responses from users of the reserve to assess any impact his presence has had on your use and enjoyment of the reserve and how you feel when you are there if this has changed since June.

Please email [email protected] so we can collate evidence which may help MBC and police in their work.

Please email us rather than comment on this post.

23/09/2026

Another sunny morning and a chance to photograph some of the reserve's smaller inhabitants and some fungi.

21/09/2026

Giving you plenty of notice for last minute foraging!

Address

Roseholme
Maidstone
ME168DX

Website

http://www.fantwildlife.org.uk/

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