Beds Reserves Update - July 2023 | Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants

Senior Reserves Manager Aidan gives an overview of recent work on Bedfordshire's nature reserves

Summer tasks are well under way with the bulk of the time spent on maintenance of fencing for the grassland sites that are grazed ahead of the arrival of animals for a few months. Staff and the volunteer team have been busy at several sites across the county replacing sections of fencing – Felmersham Gravel Pits, Fancott Meadows and Dropshort Marsh have all had a complete removal and replacement some sections of the perimeter fencing and it has been interesting to see that some of the chestnut posts we installed a few years ago have not fared well and are pretty much rotten through. These posts are sporting some interesting fungi but are not suitable for retaining our livestock so need replacement. Other sites have just needed a bit of a patch up and the posts are being replaced where rotten, but the fencing material retained as still in good order.

Some additional access infrastructure work was completed at Old Warden Tunnel with the steps into the cutting replaced on the Western slope and we are grateful to Cherryfield Ecology for their support of this project. Elsewhere we have been replacing kissing gate and field gate posts which have rotted off over time and also installing new interpretation boards at a couple of sites.

A new noticeboard cabinet with information about Arlesey South — Image: Aidan Matthews

Arlesey Old Moat and Glebe Meadows is one site that has had all of these works done recently and there is still another board to be installed at the Northern site entrance to refresh the site information and meet branding changes.

Site management at Totternhoe Knolls Little Hills has been generously supported over the last year thanks to a grant administered by Grantscape and we have completed several different elements of work on the site. The species rich grassland supports lots of chalk specialist plants and these are best managed through grazing or regular mowing. These practices keep the dominating plants under control and allow the widest range of plants and animals to thrive. In recent years we have struggled to get the site grazed effectively and faced challenges in getting livestock onto the site. The staff and volunteers have spent hours toiling up and down the slopes of the former quarry spoil area to keep the scrub, bramble and other vigorous growth in check and this summer’s display has shown the worth of all this work.

A marbled white butterfly with its wings spread wide feeding on a purple flower — Image: Aidan Matthews

Hundreds of orchids have shown their flower spikes and other wildflowers have provided food for the insects using the site.

We are extremely grateful to the National Highways Network For Nature Fund which is allowing us to enhance the provision of site information boards and visitor seating at Blow’s Downs. Already one sign and bench has been installed in the Hayfield and there will soon be more elsewhere across the site. Staff from the National Highways team, joined by representatives from the Wildlife Trusts project administration team recently had a visit to the site to look at the works completed over the last 24months and saw a wide range of practical conservation works including bare ground creation, fencing, scrub removal and kissing gate installations.

In the coming months we will move onto the annual cutting and raking tasks across the county, mostly at sites we can’t graze with livestock. Some areas will be kept uncut to allow cover for overwintering species of animals, but most of the grassland sites will be taken back to a short level and hay & other material collected up and stacked nearby.

None of this work would be possible without the amazing bunch of volunteers who turn up in all weathers and assist the staff with this essential summer work, we are extremely grateful for their help and efforts. If you are interested in lending a hand, please get in touch or email Bedfordshire@wildlifebcn.org.