Sandy Warren is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in

Sandy Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Sandy (surname), a list of people * Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983) * (Sandy) ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...

. It is part of The Lodge, a nature reserve run by the

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throu ...

(RSPB), and named after the RSPB headquarters called The Lodge at the same site. The site is heathland on the acidic soil of the Lower Greensand ridge, which is now comparatively rare. It also has areas of unimproved grassland and birch woodland. Dragonflies breed in artificial pools, and the site is also noted for many fungi and bird species. Additional habitats are damp areas and seasonal pools, which have some uncommon species such as

distant sedge ''Carex distans'', commonly known as distant sedge, is a plant species in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. It is native to Europe and North Africa. It is part of a complex of similar species that occur across Eurasia. Its relatives include '' Carex ...

and

carnation sedge ''Carex panicea'', commonly known as carnation sedge, is a plant species in the sedge family, Cyperaceae. It is known as grass-like sedge and can be found in Northern and Western Europe, and also in north-eastern North America. The plant produc ...

. The RSPB is felling conifers to create additional areas of heath. There is a network of footpaths from the RSPB headquarters off Potton Road.

References

{{SSSIs Bedfordshire Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in England Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Bedfordshire