ENVIRONMENTAL charity Heal Rewilding recently opened Heal Somerset, its first nature recovery site near Bruton.

It is offering people living in the county the opportunity to join their Friends of Heal scheme at a discounted rate.

Somerset residents can become Friends of Heal with a 15 per cent or more discount on the packages in the scheme.

Monthly, yearly or lifetime donations give the charity vital ongoing support for its work on nature recovery, climate action and wellbeing.

As a thank you, Friends are given preferential early booking for selected Heal events and a PDF guide to rewilding.

Friend of Heal Somerset packages are available for individuals, couples, families, young adults and for a lifetime.

Examples of the packages are Individual Friends of Heal, donating £3.50 a month under the discount scheme and young adults, giving £1.70 a month.

All Friends of Heal packages can also be given as gifts.

Human health and wellbeing are at the heart of Heal’s mission.

With the aim to acquire and rewild a site in every English county, the charity wants to make rewilding and nature accessible to everyone.

The discount for county residents is intended to involve local community in the project and for them to feel proud to be part of creating a new place where people and wildlife can thrive.

Jan Stannard, Heal’s chairman of trustees, said: “Our Friends are the drumbeat of support for our core work and they’re a vital part of the Heal family.

"We hope that lots of people who live in this beautiful county will be interested in supporting our work by becoming a Friend.”

The Heal Somerset site is open 50 weeks a year, 24 hours a day, so people can arrive early to hear the dawn chorus or after dark to see and detect bats.

Pre-booked parking is essential if arriving by car, arranged via the Heal Somerset website.

Entry to the two large publicly accessible areas is free with a requested voluntary donation.

The Southern Fields are open to anyone aged 14 and over and the Eastern Fields to all ages. Both areas have mown paths, with almost 8km of walking in the Southern Fields and just over 2km in the Eastern Fields.

You can become a Friend of Heal Somerset at www.healsomerset.org.uk/friends-of-heal-somerset