Common lizards should be a feature in any well-managed heathland (c) Tom Marshall/WildNet
Work will take place this January to transform a Knutsford nature reserve and return it to its traditional state for native wildlife.
Knutsford Heath, managed by the Trust and owned by the Tatton Estate, will see many of its trees removed to allow heather and other plants to thrive – reinstating what would have historically been the traditional habitats on the site.
The £13,000 project is being funded by the Government’s non-departmental conservation body Natural England through their Higher Level Stewardship Scheme.
Although the operation to remove the trees may appear destructive, the work is necessary and simply aims to return the heath to how it should be – and provide a home for wildlife that can only live in heathland habitats.
The 13 acre (5.3ha) nature reserve has become overrun with ‘scrub’ species such as gorse and birch trees, and some smaller oak trees. A traditional heathland would contain a variety of low-growing heathers and grasses with only occasional mature specimen trees.
We completely understand that this work may appear quite dramatic and destructive, but that is often what must be done to reinstate original wildlife habitats
In addition to the removal of scrub, Cheshire Wildlife Trust is also reinstating almost 5,000 sqm of heath by ‘re-seeding’ with donor seeds taken from local heathlands. This technique involves carefully removing the top turf layer with specialist machinery and planting new heather seeds.
This technique has also been used on the famous Prees Heath nature reserve in Shropshire, home to the rare silver-studded blue butterfly.
The Trust has said: “We completely understand that this work may appear quite dramatic and destructive, but that is often what must be done to reinstate original wildlife habitats.
“The clue of course is in the name Knutsford Heath, the site is not supposed to be a wooded area and without intervention that is what will happen within a few years. Heathlands on the other hand have decreased significantly across Cheshire and the UK, and are now the last stronghold for many species that rely on the exact mix of heathers and open areas that they provide.”
The Trust also points out that it has timed the work during the winter months so as not to impact on any nesting birds, and the most mature oak trees that are home to rare purple hairstreak butterflies will be retained within and around the heath.
More than a third of Britain’s lowland heathlands have been lost since the 1950s, and they remain important for a remarkable variety of wildlife in the UK including reptiles such as lizards and adders, rare birds such as the nightjar and a host of butterflies and dragonflies.
One of the largest heathlands in Cheshire is the 50ha Cleaver Heath on the Wirral Peninsula, parts of which are also managed by Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
