Print page
Our work here
27 February 2012
Less than a century ago, much of this area would have been open heathland, but over the years large areas of this rare habitat have been lost to development, agriculture or forestry.
We've been working to restore this habitat at Farnham Heath since 2004 by converting the conifer plantations into heath and acid grassland and encouraging its special wildlife to return.
We also continue to manage the remaining native woodland and have uncovered many historical features on the site.
Heath restored
Now that the felling is almost complete we will continue to use traditional grazing with cattle on the cleared areas in order to control the scrub and allow the heath to regenerate naturally.
The restoration project is already bringing results with dormant heather seeds germinating and gorse flowering. Heathland wildlife is steadily returning with woodlark and nightjar numbers increasing and other insect and reptile life flourishing.
Woods retained
Some woodland has been retained, both coniferous and deciduous, for the benefit of its wildlife.
To diversify this habitat and encourage more wildlife dead wood is left to lie in place providing homes for insects and open glades are maintained for a variety of butterflies.
The native woodland is managed using traditional practices such as coppicing the sweet chestnut woods and encouraging wet woodland by extending areas of willow and alder trees.
Volunteers
Regular work parties meet every Tuesday and Friday to carry out a range of practical tasks including scrub control and path maintenance. They also help to run a number of public events throughout the year.
Funding
We are extremely grateful to Biffa Award through the Landfill Communities Fund, Defra and Natural England who are supporting the heathland restoration work onsite.
Thanks to help on the reserve from employees of Goldman Sachs, the Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Earthwatch, Vodafone, Barclays, Allianz, SAP Business Objects, Lombard, Prupim and players from the Rugby Football Union, we have been able to deliver more for conservation at Farnham Heath.