Conservation work on DPA owned land at High House Waste has now expanded into the Southern Mire, with our volunteers beginning the task of clearing gorse from the mire margins and cutting new access tracks for people and animals. 13 volunteers, including new faces from Cornwood, spent the day working with both hand tools and machines, following the recommendations in our updated Land Management Plan to reduce overall gorse dominance.
Gorse is an attractive native plant, with bright yellow flowers and infamous thorns for protection. It’s an important part of the moorland ecosystem, providing food and shelter for many animal and insect inhabitants, but, where it encroaches on mires, it can begin to alter this important habitat for the worse. For mire specialist species to thrive, they require very wet, nutrient poor soils and access to light, all of which can be disrupted by the spread of gorse and its underground root system.
Workday leader, Kate Wareham, said: ‘Wow – well done team! What a glorious day we had in the Southern Mire, wall to wall sunshine but not too warm, I think everyone kept their feet dry too. The majority of the team started pushing the gorse back from the mire margins, it was a great start to the critical task of ensuring the continued health of this important habitat.’
The team cut a path through to the stile at the bottom West edge of the site, which will be widened further as part of the next workday. Two machinists also cut a clear path through to the Southern Mire, beginning from close to Sayer Gate, meaning that access to the mire for ongoing conservation work is now greatly improved. In addition to access for volunteers and visitors, this 3-4m swathe will also permit access for cattle, who benefit the mire through their grazing activity. A third path was also cut across the top section of the mire. This should provide a drier pathway for anyone who wishes to enjoy the fascinating mire habitat, without getting bogged down in it!
The DPA couldn’t achieve this vital work without the help of our knowledgeable and hard working volunteers. We appreciate the time given by our regular team and we are also delighted to meet new people, even joining us for one day can make a huge difference. If you’d be interested in finding out more about our year round volunteering opportunities, or you’d like to sign up to join us for a workday, you can find out more on our website.
Image: Albert Knott