As autumn approaches, after a summer of preparatory works obtaining various permissions and quotations, our partner projects are all now busy getting on with restoring nature back to the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
At Bucklebury Common, a new ranger has been appointed to co-ordinate a range of works that will see parts of the common restored to its traditional form of heath and woodland pasture. This month, contractors are about to start work on creating the woodland pasture areas. This involves clearing the non-native invasive plants and holly seedlings that have been allowed to grow since the cessation of grazing by cattle since the end of the Second World War. This will not only enable the many veteran trees to ‘breathe’ again but also enable dormant wildflowers and plants to reappear, thus attracting back a greater diversity of wildlife.
Groundwork to create wetland at Sulham Estate. Credit:Action for River Kennet
At Sulham Estate near Pangbourne, work on the scrape that will become a new wetland habitat has been completed and the attention of the team is now turning to preparing the area for seeding and plug planting of wildlife friendly herbs and grasses. The project is a great example of partnership working with funding from Mend the Gap – the partnership programme between the Chilterns and North Wessex Downs National Landscapes and the Railway Action Group – and Sulham Estate itself.
Start of river realignment at Benham Estate. Credit: Action for River Kennet
Following the theme of water, having negotiated various consents to work on this sensitive and rare chalk river, work has started on restoring a stretch of the River Kennet on the Benham Estate to a more natural state. This is will connect the river and its floodplain once more and remove obstacles to fish and the flow. This will create not only create habitats for fish and invertebrates but enable the river to be more resilient to changes in seasonal flow and pollution.
High up on the Berkshire Downs, an extensive plant survey has been undertaken at Sheepdrove organic farm with the aim of making the margins of the arable fields more attractive to wildlife. And work has started on the creation of two dewponds – classic features of the dry chalk downlands from a time when the landscape was largely grazed by sheep.
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) have started survey work at Moor Copse. The very wet spring had prevented access to this wet woodland habitat on the River Pang. Work will commence on the clearing of dangerous trees affected by ash die-back disease so that volunteers and contractors can continue the coppicing work that creates the ideal habitat for dormice and bats.
The conversion of a large arable field to trial various configurations of agroforestry and regenerative arable techniques has also started at Earth Trust. Various baseline surveys have been undertaken to allow for the measurement of how effective the changes are over time and a new regenerative Farming Officer has just been appointed to liaise with and advise local farmers and landowners on more nature-friendly farming practices.
And finally, at Tidcombe Farm, various steep sloped fields are being prepared for plug and seed planting suitable for butterflies, including the rare Duke of Burgundy, and other invertebrates.
More details about our partners and the projects comprising the Partnerships for Nature programme are here.
The Partnerships for Nature programme is funded by the Defra’s Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm’s-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.
