Conservation grazing and scrub superheroes

Wilder Horsham District (WHD) is a unique and innovative partnership between the Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Council to support nature recovery and biodiversity in the District.

Initially a five-year partnership ,this was recently extended to 2028. One of the ways the partnership is helping to connect wildlife-friendly spaces across the District is through its work with landowners. The WHD team supports them to create and improve habitats. It also manages fantastic volunteer work parties that can pitch in with practical tasks.

Conservation grazing is a useful tool in sympathetic land management strategy. It involves the use of animals in balance with modern farming methods.

WHD have enjoyed success working with the teams at Mayes Park near Warnham and Gaywood Farm in Pulborough, who have recently introduced small herds of traditional cattle, replicating wild grazing on their land. The cows keep grasses down to a level where other wild plants can also thrive. Other interesting features created by cattle include a revitalised seed bed from churning up certain areas with their hooves and even minibeast micro-habitats in their dung!

We also use similar techniques across several of our council-owned green spaces. Our cattle help us manage the meadow and wetland habitats at Chesworth Farm, and Warnham Local Nature Reserve. In Owlbeech Woods we use grazing to maintain the woodland and heathland habitats as well as the complex scrub mosaic.

Scrub habitat

Habitat loss is one of the primary factors behind wildlife decline.

One of our often-forgotten habitat is that is great for wildlife is scrub. Native shrubs such as bramble and gorse, as well as blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, and oak tree growth play an essential role in offering food and shelter to some of our rarest species

Supporting rare species

Scrub vegetation creates a wonderful habitat, supporting lichens, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds including endangered species such as the nightingale (pictured).

Looking after scrub

One of the best ways to maintain scrub is with light browsing and grazing by livestock and wildlife. We can also enhance scrubland by hand as WHD have done working with Knepp Wildland Foundation’s Weald to Waves project and their fantastic group of volunteer‘ Scrubland Superheroes (main picture).

If you’d like to learn more about the WHD partnership find more information online.