WORCESTERSHIRE people who support the county's fauna and flora have been celebrated as Wildlife Heroes.

The awards were made by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, which launched the Wildlife Heroes scheme in April last year.

Among the winners were Marilyn McCarthy who organised food for more than 100 swans on the River Severn in Worcester.

Jan and Michael Terry have a wildlife-friendly farm at Hanbury where they are creating new meadows and wetlands.

Nick and Rebecca Blackman created on their farm at Evesbatch habitats for ground-nesting bees and other invertebrates.

Tania Charles and her family manage woodland near Alfrick, coppicing, entering countryside stewardships and creating a buffer between the woodd and the nearby fields.

David Cunliffe is a moderator of the Malvern Bird Group and organises a bird survey each spring.

Gerry Davies monitors a bee orchid growing on a verge in Malvern Link, using garden canes to protect it from being mown.

Peter Holmes is a dedicated bird-ringer and editor of the annual Birds and Butterflies around the Malverns book.

Kathy Jackson has a wildlife-friendly garden with numerous bird feeders and wild areas which have attracted hedgehogs and grass snakes.

Dave Lee is an active member of the Worcestershire Bat Group who has done many bat surveys and is a regular recorder of wildlife for Worcestershire Biological Records Centre.

Pendock CE Primary School has a wildlife area and raised money for the trust, which was put towards the purchase of a nearby nature reserve.

Ella Quincy owns Old Country Farm near Mathon, where scarce spotted flycatchers and lesser spotted woodpeckers can be found.

Trevor and Annette Smart own Ravenshill Wood, near Alfrick, where they are removing non-native trees and are allowing the native species to recover.

They were among 37 people who collected their awards at the trust’s headquarters, Lower Smite Farm.

Sadie Carr Simons of the trust said: “We launched our Wildlife Heroes awards last spring to celebrate our 50th birthday and have been thrilled with how many nominations we’ve received.

“This is the second awards ceremony that we’ve held and it’s been fantastic to meet so many people who are helping wildlife where they live."