Chalk grassland, lowland heaths, peat bogs, dune slacks, moorland and wetland margins need managing to retain their particular characteristics. This often means cutting back and removing young bushes and saplings – known as scrub clearance. Encroaching scrub should be controlled when it ...
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Practical conservation in brief
A collection of articles designed to help you get started with practical conservation in no time at all. For further, much more detailed information, please consider subscribing and get access to all of our conservation handbooks.
Why conserve?
To conserve: Protect (something, especially something of environmental or cultural importance) from harm or destruction. (Oxford English Dictionary) Habitats are in a constant state of change through naturally occurring dynamics and human influence. But while natural change can be managed ...
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Basic Safety in Conservation Work
Practical conservation work should be carried out as safely as possible. Being aware of various safety points not only reduces the risk of accidents or illness but also enables groups to work more effectively – increasing everybody’s enjoyment and satisfaction. Safe work is good ...
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Coppicing – why cut down trees for conservation?
Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management that has shaped many of the remaining semi-natural woodlands in the UK. Periodic cutting actually prolongs the life of the tree as well as creating a rich mosaic of habitats, attracting a wide range of flora and fauna. Woods that have not ...
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Why plant trees?
In recent decades there have been a number of important stimuli for tree planting, including the loss of hedgerow elms to disease, the millennium and, perhaps most dramatically, the estimated 15 million trees uprooted during the storm of 16 October 1987. Native tree species blend in most ...
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