Strange patches of bare soil are appearing across fields in Purbeck in Dorset, and while it may look a bit odd, it’s all about providing better nesting, roosting and foraging sites for a wide variety of wildlife including birds.
The aim of the National Trust tenant farmers is to restore a mosaic of grassland, scrub, hedges and trees across their land at Middlebere, Wilkswood, Spyway and Whitecliff near Swanage.
National Trust tenant farmer Paul Loudoun is restoring wood pasture on Wilkswood Farm near Langton Matravers
Extremely rare turtle dove and nightingale
This sort of natural habitat is called wood pasture and would have commonly existed in the past across Purbeck.
However in recent times, many of the fields have been dug up for crops or over grazed, reducing the amount of prime habitat for birds like the yellowhammer, linnet and goldfinch, as well as the extremely rare turtle dove and nightingale.
Now the aim is to create 380 hectares (940 acres) of wood pasture across Purbeck which will involve planting around 60,000 trees and shrubs over the next six years.
To maximise on blossom and fruit, the trees planted will be native species such as crab apple, hazel, holly, hawthorn, elder and wild pear.
It’s hoped this will bring back the full force of birdsong across the Purbeck countryside.
Ben Cooke, area ranger for the National Trust
“Bring back a cacophony of birdsong”
Ben Cooke, area ranger for the National Trust, said:
“We haven’t yet lost this soundscape in Purbeck, but it has quietened over the last 70 years, with some birds disappearing altogether.
“By restoring wood pasture, we want to reverse this trend and bring back a cacophony of birdsong and the hum of insects, not just in a few places, but across Purbeck.
“Imagine how fantastic it would be if the calls of lost species such as the turtle dove became part of our lives again.”
Bring back the birds! From a song thrush…
…to a rare turtle dove
Scrub islands provide shelter and food
Wood pasture, which is typically found in the New Forest in Hampshire, benefits wildlife because of the mix of habitats.
The open ground and grassland encourages an abundance of wildflowers and insects.
Scrub islands provide shelter and food for birds, insects and small mammals, while trees are especially attractive to bats, birds and lichens.
Ben added:
“Together these will create a landscape that’s teeming with the sights, sounds and scents of nature.
“It will be a place where people can immerse themselves in the natural world, and hopefully inspire them to create similar habitats in their own gardens, schools or parks.”
Children from St George’s primary school in Langton Matravers pick berries from the native hedgerow at nearby Wilkswood Farm
The berries are then planted in the newly rotavated soil
Seeds and berries from hedgerows
Currently, only the four tenant farmers are taking part in the wood pasture project, but others are expected to join.
With the help of local schools and other community groups, seeds and berries are being harvested from hedgerows and woods.
These are being planted in small plots of land which have been rotavated to create bare ground where the seedlings can grow.
Ben said:
“This looks drastic at first, but the new vegetation will soon take hold, whether it’s been planted or regenerated naturally.
“We are also experimenting with ways to protect saplings from grazing animals, especially deer, which not only eat the new growth but can jump high fences to get to it.”
Various methods are being trialled to protect the new shoots and saplings from being eaten by deer
The hope is to create wood pasture as pictured here in the New Forset
“Hear nature singing out loud again!”
In some areas, this involves using protective layers of thorny gorse, bramble and hawthorn, or piles of dead branches. In others, deer-proof exclosures have been erected.
Ben added:
“We’ll be checking to establish which methods work to protect the saplings, as well as monitoring wildlife species each year to see if numbers are increasing.
“Hopefully the results will be dramatic – and we’ll hear nature singing out loud again!”
Further information
- To help with wildlife monitoring, seed gathering or planting events across Purbeck, please email purbeck@nationaltrust.org.uk
