Landscape Solutions Grazing Project

Due to current COVID 19 restrictions our Landscape Solutions Grazing Project has been pushed back in many aspects with things being postponed and rescheduled. However, our grazing animals are still working hard to maintain our sites, they are often considered the most effective and sustainable way of maintaining habitats ensuring a rich variety of wildlife and promoting biodiversity.

We have had a small herd of soay sheep grazing on the butterfly glades at Loggerheads Country Park, some Belted Galloway cattle at Aberduna Nature Reserve, our conservation Carneddau ponies have also been busy at Aberduna Nature Reserve, before recently moving on to Moel Findeg. The project uses traditional native breeds of livestock which are bread for their hardiness, the prefer to eat the more dominant plant species, this leaves space for a variety of other species to become established. The cattle and ponies also create ground disturbance which provides new habitats for reptiles and invertebrates, they also create safe spots for new seedlings to flourish.

Over the recent snow, although these animals are very hardy and used to living out in all weather conditions, we like to provide some hay to keep them going until the snow has melted.