Cornwall Wildlife Trust has launched a public appeal to raise £20,000 to help it buy 84 acres of threatened land in west Penwith.
The trust wants to buy 58 acres of Bostraze Bog, between Newbridge and St Just, and restore it to a wildlife-rich habitat teeming with rare species such as the round-leaved sundew, small red damselfly and the iconic barn owl.
With the help of Heritage Lottery funding it also wants to buy 26 acres of Bartinney Downs, next to the trust's Caer Brân Nature Reserve, near Sancreed.
It wants to protect the sites existing wildlife, providing refuge for skylark, marsh fritillary butterfly, adders and merlin.
Callum Deveney, head of nature reserves at Cornwall Wildlife Trust said : "We must find this extra money to help to buy and create what I know will be fantastic nature reserves. All donations will help us to draw down extra funding to protect Cornwall's wildlife and wild places."
Parts of these sites were improved for agricultural use in the past, but have been reverting to more wildlife-friendly habitats through the support of agri-environmental funding schemes.
The trust said reforms to the common agricultural policy and shrinking EU and domestic budgets are threatening wildlife at both sites that could be intensively managed to make money from them once again.
The land at Bostraze Bog and Bartinney Downs has no statutory designation to protect the habitats and species it supports.
Once bought local people will be brought in to help manage the heathland and wetland and scrub clearance. Volunteers will be trained in a variety of practical skills such as plant identification techniques, habitat management and Cornish hedging.
Access will also be improved and new walking routes will be introduced to help visitors appreciate the rare heritage landscape.
The new sites both have important archaeological features including a scheduled ancient monument on the slopes of Bartinney Downs.
To donate to Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Nature Reserves appeal, please visit www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/appeal, call (01872) 273939 or post a cheque to Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Nature Reserves appeal, Five Acres, Allet, Truro, TR4 9DJ.
You can also donate via Just Giving at www.justgiving.com/Callum-Deveney1 or simply text 70070 with the code NRAP84 followed by £1,£2,£3,£4,£5 or £10.
