The National Trust is marking 125 years since it acquired its first nature reserve - a rare wetlands habitat.
Wicken Fen has been “a mecca for local naturalists” because it is one of Cambridgeshire’s last pieces of undrained fen, the charity said.
The first two acres (0.8ha) of land were bought in 1899. The reserve now extends across 2,053 acres (830ha).
Countryside manager Alan Kell said Wicken Fen was now the most species-rich area of the UK.
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“The National Trust was set up to protect natural and historic places and we’ve got one of the last remaining fragments of undrained fenland here,” Mr Kell said.
From then onwards, the wetland habitat was drained by wealthy merchant and landowning investors, who wanted to unlock the peat soils for cultivation.
Wicken Fen offered 19th Century botanists and entomologists rare access to what little remained of its original, diverse habitat, and it became “a mecca for local naturalists”, said Mr Kell.
Former agricultural land has been restored into a variety of wetland habitats, aided by hardy cattle and a herd of Konik ponies.
This included 188 endangered species such as the bittern, marsh harrier, great crested newt and the tiny soprano pipistrelle bat.
Its visitor operations and experience manager, Isabel Sedgwick, said: "We’re very much looking forward to our anniversary programme of events and activities kicking off in May to celebrate this milestone.
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