NATURE lovers are invited to join forest rangers on a community woodland tour.

This week plans are being revealed of the Forestry Commission's project to turn 115 acres around Windy Bank Farm at Glazebury into a facility for everyone to enjoy.

A display runs until Monday at Bents Garden Centre in Warrington Road and on Saturday rangers will take interested locals on a drive around the site which includes natural features such as Bedford Moss -- designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest -- and several ponds and woodlands.

Tim Oliver, Forestry Commission project manager, said: "We're hoping lots of people will join us. The community woodland is for everyone, so it's important we know what local people want so we can incorporate their ideas into our plans.

"We're looking to create more wetland areas to help preserve the mosses, put in footpaths and manage the woodland and open spaces so people and wildlife benefit".

Until now, there has only been limited public access from the Glazebrook Timberland Trail, which runs through a corner of the land, and the public footpath which runs along the access track to Windy Bank Farm.

It is the latest site in the Leigh, Culcheth and Golborne area to be earmarked as a community woodland.

The Forestry Commission has also bought a 28-hectare site at Lowton, near Golborne and recently met local residents to discuss woodland plans.

Grant

Funding for both is coming from a £9 million grant from the Government's Capital Modernisation Fund part of which is being used to create recreation and conservation facilities across 1,000 hectares on the urban fringe.

The Northwest Development Agency is making £2.8 million available to provide an additional 212 hectares of community woodland in the Mersey Belt.

Martin Reynolds, NWDA land regeneration manager, said: "Schemes such as those at Windy Bank will provide attractive, well managed, places for people to use and enjoy."

For more information about community woodlands, contact Tim Oliver on 01925 859520, or write to the Forestry Commission, Risley Moss, Ordnance Avenue,

Birchwood, Warrington, WA3 6QX.