Heathland restoration Mumberry Hills project .................... Ian Barthorpe

Photo: Heather Spack Heathland regeneration

Ian Barthorpe RSPB Minsmere heathland restoration project

During the winter of 2015/16, work started to restore part of the famous RSPB Minsmere nature reserve to its former glory. Mumberry Hills, close to the village of Westleton, is an important area of the Suffolk Sandlings heath, but in recent years had become dominated by birch woodland, to the detriment of rare heathland wildlife such as Woodlark, Nightjar and tiger beetles. The Sandlings heaths are important habitats protected under UK and international designations. Heathland is also one of the RSPB’s priority habitats, with many species of bird, insect and plant thriving in this nutrient-poor habitat. The Suffolk Sandlings is a unique mix of heather and acid grassland that stretches from Lowestoft to Ipswich along the coastal strip of Suffolk, but just a handful of patches remain: as little as 8% of the heaths present in 1900. Losses have been due to a combination of conversion to arable or forestry, house building and reduced grazing. One of the largest tracts of Sandlings heath occurs in the Minsmere/Westleton/Dunwich area, and this project aims to restore a further 40 hectares around Mumberry Hills to its former purple-clad glory.