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11th March 2020
Categories: Visitor News
At Wildwood Escot, the management of a large 8-acre wetland reserve was becoming more than could be handled by humans alone. Before the scrub started to take over, the occasional water vole or reptile was spotted. But without intensive management, scrubby plant species like bramble were starting to take over.
But how do you tackle such an issue?
George Hyde, Wildwood Escot's General Manager, said: "The use of heavy machinery within an environmentally sensitive area can sometimes cause more harm than good and potentially damage the habitat. There can also be considerable costs involved, not just the cost of the machines but the staff time needed to operate them."
Wildlife surveys conducted in the area concluded that many more species wil benefit hugely from the new and more natural habitat management. That’s when the team at Escot considered the idea of conservation grazing.
“We felt the natural approach to managing the reserve was needed and after hearing about the good work of the Konik ponies and Soay sheep, from our sister organisation the Wildwood Trust in Kent, we decided to trial conservation grazing," George continued.
Conservation grazing involves the use of herbivores, like horses, sheep, cattle and deer to manage an area for the benefit of biodiversity. With the annual variation in diets amongst the grazers, the more scrubby plant species will be targeted during the winter months. This is when the Koniks and Soays can make a real difference to the reserve and create a patchwork or mosaic of habitats. Ongoing monitoring of the reserve, including wildlife and habitat surveys, will highlight the changes over time with the results feeding into the development of the project. Other grazers may eventually join the ponies and sheep; as a varied species mix provides a range of grazing techniques and in turn creates a varied habitat.
Wildwood Escot has prepared a range of paths and bridges, so that visitors can enjoy the wildlife of the wetland reserve and see first-hand conservation grazing in action.
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