Habitat creation at Fowlescombe

Our primary goals at the farm is to create a wide range of habitat for mammales, birds, and the entire food chain.

Habitat Targets

We are now in Year 5 of the Countryside Stewardship agreement and much of the scheduled hedgerow planting has been completed. Some additional lengths have been planted outside the scheme and another stretch of hedge will be laid as part of a rural skills training course. An extension to the woodland planting in Rigley has been put back until later in the year because we decided the extra hedgerow work was a higher priority to provide better shelter for stock.

Reed beds create great habitat	Normally we get Mallards, frogs, toads, newts, Moorhesn etc.	The Orchard Pond - with a group of ducklings and mum

 

Ponds:
- Complete remedial works to ponds in Slade and establish reed bed
- Assess state of ponds with a simple survey (no more than 2 man days total time)
Hedgerows:
- Follow plan for Year 4 as specified in Countryside Stewardship agreement
- Produce plan for hedgerow restoration and management for whole of farm
Grasslands:
- Increase area of unimproved grassland. Conduct plant survey of the whole of Church Park to monitor reversion to unimproved status in Higher Church Park
- When time allows survey the West Parks and the Vales as above.