Cash Splashed for Thirsty Volunteer Cows Large, hairy, long-horned volunteers are helping to create a sanctuary for wildlife but they are getting thirsty.
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nglish longhorn and highland cattle have been grazing the grassland at Cutacre Nature Reserve for six years now, creating perfect conditions for some of our best-known farmland birds. And the Lancashire Wildlife Trust reserve, on the WiganSalford border, close to Tyldesley, has been boosted by a grant from waste management company, Viridor, and Wigan Council Brighter Borough to provide the hefty volunteer cows with water troughs and a water supply.
Management of the reserve is also aimed at encouraging rare farmland birds such as lapwing, oystercatcher, redshank and skylark to breed. However, some of the fields are overrun with rush and this can not only prevent some of the birds breeding, but reduces the diversity of the wildflowers. This wet grassland is an important habitat and the funding will allow us to improve it for wildlife by cutting back some of the rush opening up areas for flowers such as cuckooflower, lesser spearwort, ragged robin and marsh bedstraw.
Reserve Officer Stephen Cartwright said: “This will help us to get water to the cattle so that they can graze the fields more effectively by allowing us to concentrate the grazing. The way the cattle “grab” the grasses creates a lumpy and bumpy field, with lots of clumps where insects nest and long-billed birds can dip for food. The way the cattle graze also helps to reduce the dominance of grasses and open up the area for wildflowers to set seed and flourish.” At the moment however, some of the fields have no water supply which means cattle cannot be kept there in dry weather to do their amazing work for the wildlife of the reserve.
Stephen said: “We also get the double benefit that this will provide more succulent rush growth, so we are keeping our work force happy while reaping the benefits. And all this is good for wildlife.”
The funding will also allow us to restore ponds on the reserve, a site which has gained a reputation for its collection of amphibians. “If the ponds are left to dry out with invading scrub, this will be bad news for the amphibians, including the protected great crested newt, which still breeds at the Cutacre reserve,” said Stephen.
Of course, visitors to Cutacre will also get an opportunity to see the magnificent cattle that have grazed the British countryside for centuries.
“This new funding will allow the Wildlife Trust and its human volunteers, who are just as important, to restore the ponds to their former glory, enhancing biodiversity around them and allow the newts, frogs and toads to thrive.”
The site offers some amazing opportunities to see wildlife, with grasshopper warbler, reed bunting, linnet and stonechat being found in the scrubby areas of the site. Bullfinch, now a scare bird, can be found within woodland, whilst snipe, a long-billed wading bird, can be seen foraging around the edge of pools, which is exciting being so close to an urban area.”
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust is creating fantastic habitats on its 37 nature reserves across the North West, but also helping to maintain Nature Recovery Networks connecting these and other wild areas so wildlife has corridors to increase and thrive. If you are interested in supporting nature in the North West you can find out more about the work of the Wildlife Trust at www.lancswt.org.uk
The Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 Local Nature Reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The Trust has 30,000 members, and over 1,200 volunteers. No matter where you are in Britain, there is a Wildlife Trust inspiring people and saving, protecting and standing up for the natural world. With the support of our members, we care for and restore special places for nature on land and run marine conservation projects and collect vital data on the state of our seas. Every Wildlife Trust works within its local community to inspire people to create a wilder future – from advising thousands of landowners on how to manage their land to benefit wildlife, to connecting hundreds of thousands of school children with nature every year. wildlifetrusts.org
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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
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