The Heath Paddocks

Our Heath paddocks are home to Heather, orchids and other flowers and provide habitats for many different creatures.  Unfortunately they are also home to invasive Silver Birch, Willow and Bramble.  Over the years we have brush cut them, dug them up, added Exmoor Ponies and sheep, who actually preferred other areas of the reserve, as they escaped under the fence! The only way to control these species is hard work by the volunteers.  It is, though, like painting the Forth Road Bridge, never ending!

Tree poppers are used to make the task a little easier.  The ground needs to be soft enough to pull the trees out by their roots, but not too soft so the tree poppers disappear into the ground when force is applied.

Some of the roots are rather long.

It is not easy work but Ros and Hayley were still smiling!

Next week the reserve will be visited by the Army Ornithological Society.  They will be carrying out bird ringing activities at Foxglove and other sites.  One of the places had to be checked and the net ride cleared of overhanging branches.  There was a four-legged volunteer helping or hindering Hedley!

Thank you to all the volunteers who work so hard to keep Foxglove looking so good.