Field trip notes: Lower Pertwood

UPDATED 
​On 31st May 15 members were met at Falconers Gate by David Scales representing the Mole family. We were given an introduction to the history of the farming business and an understanding of focus on the environment at its core.

We were interested in how the farm had evolved since we last visited in 2019, knowing that there has been a plan to restore the whole farm to a more natural state.

This was the press release from February 2024:
"Key objectives of this strategy:
1. Re-establishment of Native Species-Rich Calcareous Grasslands, reminiscent of the Salisbury Plains, over the coming years.
2. Structural Complexity Restoration, bringing back the mosaic of woodland, gorse, scrub, and hedgerows to activate bio-abundance and enhance the variety and availability of habitat for all tiers of the ecosystem.
3. Naturalistic Woodland and Open Plain Grazing, whereby livestock will become a more important component of the farm’s production, as well as to the maintenance of the grassland biome and lowland wood pastures.
4. Reintroduction of Iconic Downland Wildlife, expanding and doubling down on our longstanding interest in conserving at-risk species including Corn buntings, Whinchats, Cuckoos and the Great Bustard, as well as a wide range of insects and micro-organisms.

To facilitate this ambitious project, we will be collaborating with a specialist partner on strategic, planning, management and executional elements. At the same time, we hope to continue our work with longtime conservation volunteers who have helped pave the way in making Pertwood the exciting ecological opportunity it is today."

In fact, this was not to be, in part due to potential funding streams unforthcoming. Instead, as we were to see as we were led on the walk by Nick Adams (Ecologist), a more pragmatic approach is being followed. This is to ensure the farm returns to profitability with a mix of conventional and organic land whilst being sensitive to the wildlife. Nick Adams is continuing to give expert advice in
this regard and the continuity this brings is invaluable. 

Nick showed us the ‘butterfly bank’ which was buzzing with insect life due to it having some important butterfly food and nectar plants growing on its chalk slopes.

We had lunch on a long barrow (actually a more complicated structure) with tremendous views to the West and North. We retraced our way back, passing through an area of gorse, noisy with the song of Linnets and Yellow Hammers. In the distance we could see the barn where Barn Owls regularly nest, and the field margins where Harvest Mice nests can be found.

Lower Pertwood is in good hands; it is an oasis of serenity and there's hope for the future.

Peter Shallcross