Spring signals the start of our busy survey season for the Species Survival Fund project. Our team is out in the field, surveying everything from plants and soil to insects, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals across our nature reserves. Some surveys are species-specific, like checking hazel dormouse boxes and tunnels, while others take a broader approach such as monitoring all the plant species present in a randomly placed quadrat on a reserve.

April marked the beginning of butterfly transect season, a highlight for us and many other wildlife organisations. Until the end of September, staff and volunteers walk set routes on our nature reserves, recording every butterfly within a fixed distance. This year, we’ve started six new transect routes on SSF-supported nature reserves: four at Lyscombe, one at Happy Bottom, and another at West Holme. These surveys are vital for understanding which species call our reserves home, and just as importantly, which ones may be absent. Some species need certain plants to flourish such as the marsh fritillary butterfly, which favours devil’s-bit scabious as a food source for its caterpillars. Knowing where these plants grow, thanks to our botany surveys, helps us support this rare priority species of butterfly.

We’ve also been conducting early morning breeding bird surveys at Lyscombe. To cover the entire 335-hectare reserve, several team members each walk a section, noting signs of bird activity such as singing, carrying nesting materials, and flight direction. This data helps us track which birds are breeding on site and monitor population trends over time.

Tree planting has been in full swing at West Holme, thanks to our fantastic volunteers. Together, we’ve planted 1,000 young trees in an area that, once mature, will link two existing woodlands, creating wildlife corridors that help species move more freely through the landscape. Our Peascombe nature reserve has a small orchard which has been cleared and tended to by community volunteers, and in February it received five new native fruit trees.

We’ve also contracted various fencing projects at Lower Common, West Holme, and Kingcombe Meadows, all supported by the SSF and putting money back into the local economy. Fencing helps us manage grazing, whether it’s from our own livestock or local deer populations, which can damage young trees and saplings. Fences also keep our visitors and livestock safe, and help maintain the appearance and health of our nature reserves. At Kingcombe Meadows, new fences, gates, and water troughs are enabling us to manage the protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) land more effectively. While grazing might seem counterintuitive, carefully managed grazing creates a mosaic of vegetation heights and bare patches, giving wildflower species like southern marsh orchids, bird’s-foot trefoil, and kidney vetch a chance to thrive as they have an opportunity to seed and grow before less favourable faster growing species take over, giving our pollinators a food source and habitat. 

Lesley’s Heath has also benefited from a new water supply, allowing livestock to graze and further boost biodiversity by keeping encroaching scrub at bay.

Thanks to the dedication of our staff, volunteers, members, and the support of the Species Survival Fund, we’re making great strides in protecting and enhancing the incredible wildlife on our nature reserves.

This project is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency.