Habitat Management- Somer Valley Rediscovered & Westfield Parish Council

Working for Wildlife in Waterside

If you have been out and about in Waterside Valley recently then you may have noticed some habitat management work taking place.

Some sections of bramble have been cleared alongside the brook which opens up more light into the stream and also returns those areas back to grassland. This work has been organised by Somer Valley Rediscovered and Westfield Parish Council and has been carried out by both contractors and volunteers. Not all of the bramble has been removed, as scrub is still an important habitat for wildlife and it is good to have a balance of both grassland and scrub areas.

The site masterplan, which was created in 2022, showed that the desire for Waterside Valley was to keep the open aspect and increase the diversity of the valley’s species by creating a more wildflower rich grassland. For this to happen, the valley will need to be managed. We are hoping to reintroduce a meadow style of management where the grass is cut and baled in the late summer, but for this year only, we will also need to cut the grass in late winter / early spring. Therefore, keep an eye out for tractors working in the valley during March!

If you are interested in volunteering in Waterside Valley, then we would love to hear from you. You can find out more information on our website: https://somervalleyrediscovered.co.uk/somervalley/get-involved/