DEEPING St James villagers took East Midlands in Bloom judges to check out the wildlife in the community’s own nature reserve at Deeping Lakes.
For while Deeping Lakes belongs to Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, volunteers from the village are there every week maintaining it.
The parish council has contributed to interpretation boards to make the wildlife - including otters, badgers, sand martins and 500 different birds - more accessible to visitors, who are welcome at any time free of charge.
Parish and district councillor Judy Stevens said: “The community is actively involved at every level in Deeping Lakes and we’re very proud of it – I think the judges were impressed.
“The Wildlife Trust is keen to promote the reserve and that’s why the interpretation boards have gone up so visitors can enjoy it to the full and know what to look out for.”
Judges Richard Gold and Chris Beal were shown round by David Vendome who heads the reserve volunteers and Coun Stevens and Steve Fisk from the Village In Bloom team.