Conservation Work

The National Trust relies on the support of people to help with management of the properties, one of these people at the Long Mynd is Ian Cheeseborough who has done a lot of work for the Trust to help improve the ecology of the property.

Clearing snipe plots at Wildmoor

 Ian works in carrying out practical habitat management on various sites and for a variety of organisations in the county including National Trust, Shropshire Council and Field Studies Council. Work includes footpath maintenance, hedge laying and planting, scrub control and tree work. He also teaches courses on bees, wasps and ants for the Field Studies Council looking at identification and ecology.

The work he has been involved in for the National Trust on the Long Mynd has included pond clearance on Wildmoor and the strimming of various sites to encourage breeding snipe (see previous post). He has also previously helped with hedge planting in Batch Valley and tree planting in the Wern.

Survey wise he has helped on grouse counts for a number of years and provided a baseline survey of the bees and wasps around the Mynd and recorded the breeding dragonflies on ponds around Pole Cottage.

Here at the Shropshire Hills we really appreciate the support of our volunteers, if you would like to get involved feel free to email us at cardingmill@nationaltrust.org.uk

Strimming of Snipe Plots

This week, some contractors were up on the hill working for our ecologist by strimming rushes adjacent to Wildmoor Pool. Dave and a few of the FTVs (Full Time Volunteers) then removed the cut rushes from the habitat to improve the ecological benefit of clearing the plots. Strimming the area reduces the density of the rushes allowing the snipe to lead their young through the rushes.