More Heather Burning!

The Rangers and some volunteers have been out heather burning again! Last week the weather dried up enough to make the heather dry enough for burning. This years target was to burn 20 hectares, and the deadline is end of March, when the burning season ends.

and a few fun ones...

Spot the ranger!

Fire beaters also double up as broomsticks!

Heather Management

Last week National Trust Rangers started heather burning again on the Long Mynd. Heather burning is a great way to help the heather regenerate quicker and creates the perfect habitat for Grouse. Grouse like to live in tall heather but scout for food in smaller heather, however they wont go to far from cover so heather burning has to be planned carefully. We only have til around the end of March to fit in burning as after that it is ground nesting bird season and burning will disrupt the nests and the birds.

Heather Burning Continues

Heather burning continues on the Mynd with help from our Tuesday task force, six areas were burned in order to help the heather rejuvinate better and provide a varied habitat for the grouse.

Flowering Heather

The Heather is in bloom on the hill and looks amazing, you have to go and have a look!

Devil's mouth and Pole bank are great places to get a really good view of the bright purple flowers.

Heather Burning

The rain has finally gone, allowing rangers and volunteers to do some effective heather burning! Burning the heather allows it to regenerate and regrow better, creating a better habitat for red grouse and other ground nesting birds.

The area on the right is freshly burnt heather. The aim is to create a mosaic of habitats, as the greater variety of habitats attracts a greater number of species.

The fire burns right to the soil, which removes all competition for the new heather shoots when they germinate.

They were burning on Stiperstones as well!

Heather Thatch

Three volunteers went up to Duckley Nap to cut Heather which is going to be used to thatch a roof. The heather was bundled up into manageable loads so that it could be transported easily into the trailer and eventually onto the roof. From the photographs below, it shows how the fog was getting thicker throughout the morning.

Tom wrapping the Heather into a bundle.




 

Dr. John with a bundle.

After a mornings work, over a trailer full was ready to collect.

Heather Bales



Unrolling the bales across muddy areas



The track running from Shooting Box to the Portway which forms part of the pink route was in a poor state of repair with well trodden areas becoming water logged and forming puddles. Therefore, 5 of the bales from the heather cutting that has occurred around Shooting Box were put onto the path by Dave in the tractor on Tuesday morning. A team of 5 volunteers then went up and emptied the larger puddles with a bucket and brush before unrolling the bales along the worst parts of the track. The heather was then broken up to cover all the muddy areas to create an environmentally friendly and visually appealing repair.

Spreading the heather across the path. Bales and area where cutting has taken place in the background.



Another team of TTF volunteers went up the track from Shooting Box to Pole Bank clearing the drainage channels which are being thoroughly tested during the recent April showers!