Mendip Hills Living Landscape Project
The Mendip Hills Living Landscape Project was started in April 2006 to link rare habitats in the Mendip Hills.
It aims to achieve four objectives:
- Maintain, create and link important wildlife habitats
- Help species to thrive in the face of climate change
- inspire everyone to create an area rich in wildlife
- Revitalise a landscape that will sustain wildlife for future generations
Our vision for the Mendip Hills is one of flower rich meadows, vibrant heathlands and tranquil woodlands within a working landscape. Conservation organisations have been working to protect the most species-rich sites for decades, but meadows, heathlands and woodlands have become fewer and more isolated. Through working with farmers and land managers, we want to link the remaining wildlife hotspots together to enhance and protect this unique landscape.
How will Somerset Wildlife Trust achieve the project?
Somerset Wildlife Trust owns and manages several nature reserves in the Mendip Hills and wants to work in the wider countryside around these sites to increase the connectivity between the sites and enable wildlife to move between them. SWT staff and volunteers are working closely with land holders to encourage wildlife friendly management of their land. This can be achieved in a number of ways such as less intensive farming such as reducing the amount of fertilisers and pesticides applied to the land. To help land holders manage their land sympathetically for wildlife the project is able to provide free advice about agri-environment schemes and other small grants which are available in the area. By providing advice to land holders we will be able to link wildlife-rich sites in the Mendip Hills like a jigsaw which will benefit wildlife particularly in response to climate change where they may need to move to alternative sites.
Covering an area of around 13,000 hectares, the project is based in the western Mendip Hills which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This landscape is recognised nationally for its distinctive character of limestone gorges, wild flowers and lowland heathland. Many organisations and individuals have been working hard to manage fragments of land over the last few decades. This project will join them up and give rare species such as the hazel dormouse, greater and lesser horseshoe bats and skylarks room to move and more habitat to increase their chances of survival in the face of climate change.
What we can do for you...
Landscape scale conservation means a revitalised landscape for everything that lives there, humans included! We offer many opportunities for you to join in:
- Free advice and assistance for farmers, land managers and small holders with grant applications, including Environmental Stewardship and the Somerset Landscape Scheme
- Wildlife surveys to help target conservation measures and monitor progress
- Ecological survey training for everyone interested in learning about wild flowers, butterflies, birds and mammals
- Walks and talks for the local community, educational visits and events.
The project is funded by:
Please contact us to find out more about how to get involved and forthcoming events at: Tel: 01823 652474 |
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