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From the moment I was offered the role as Wyeswood
Common Project Officer, way back in March 08, I was eager to pack my
bags and leave Surrey for the wilds of Wales and embark on my new career
with the Gwent Wildlife Trust.
A couple of months and several tonnes of bubble wrap
later I started the role on May 12th, and was glad, if somewhat daunted,
to finally role up my sleeves up, don wellies and get stuck in.
So what have I been doing at Wyeswood since I
started…?
Well inevitably, as with any new job, I have had a
certain amount of setting in to do – people to meet, reports to read,
management plants to absorb and, much to my terror, Radio 4 interviews
to attend! |
Silage, Surveys and the day I met the Soil Association
The grass at Wyeswood has recently been cut. This is the first
of two silage cuts to be taken on the site this year, undertaken for us by a
local farmer. This occurred a little later than planned - between lingering
spells of wet weather in May and delays in issuing the contract (thanks to it
getting lost in the post) I was beginning to wonder if the silage Gods had
something against me!
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Those of you familiar with the Trust's plans for
Wyeswood will know that our initial aim is to reduce the artificially
high fertility levels present in the soil that occur as a result of the
land’s agricultural past.
By cutting and clearing the grass for silage we will
gradually remove nutrients from the soil. Over time this will lower
fertility levels which will allow a greater variety of plants (and by
extension other wildlife) to survive.
High nutrient levels only really benefit a select
number of more vigorous plants that out-compete other more delicate
species.
For more information –
see the draft Management
Plan. |
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On a personal note, it feels satisfying to have achieved
something visible on the site at last as a lot of the work I have done to date
has involved organising things in the background. Sticking with the soil theme,
we have just had the results of a soil survey carried out on the Common earlier
this year. The results have given us detailed information about the soil
composition in each individual field. Already we are giving thought as to how we
might slightly vary our plans for Wyeswood in light of the results. We intend to
repeat this survey annually as we employ different techniques across the site
aimed at exhausting the soil - and hopefully discover which method is most
efficient!
Other Surveys
Among other surveys in the pipeline are a grassland and
woodland survey scheduled for this summer. Again we intend to monitor these
habitats annually and in particular will take a keen interest in how the
botanical diversity of the grassland develops in response to our management. I
am also grateful to Mike Kilner, the County spider recorder, for volunteering to
monitor our 8-legged friends on the Common. The more baseline data we can gather
at the outset of the project the better!
Wyeswood Goes Organic!
Another significant milestone involving a lot of background
work and head scratching has been the entering of Wyeswood into Organic
Conversion. The Trust’s Farming and Wildlife Development Officer, Tim Green and
I met with the Soil Association for the annual inspection of GWT’s Organic
holdings on 24th June. We were pleased to pass the inspection without a hitch!
Now that we are officially on the way to becoming Organic at Wyeswood it feels
as if the reserve has taken an important step on the road from dairy farm to
wildlife haven, albeit the journey will be a long one! I would like to thank the
staff at the Soil Association on the friendliness and efficiency of their
service.
I would like to thank all the staff, trustees and volunteers
at GWT who have, without exception, been extremely welcoming, encouraging and
supportive towards me in my new role. I look forward to updating everyone
frequently on my activities! In the mean time please feel free to contact me
with any comments, concerns or suggestions for Wyeswood.
I am most eager to build up a regular group of volunteers
to help me look after the site so if you have some time to spare I would love to
hear from you whatever your interest!
Annette Murray, Wyeswood Common Project Officer
Phone: 01600 740358 or 07810 853794. Email:
amurray@gwentwildlife.org. |
