Dean Green Team

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

31 January 2012

Woorgreen/Crabtree Hill

Grid Ref SO630127

We were on the edge of the large cleared area leading up to Crabtree Hill. This area is being changed back to heathland and will eventually be fenced so that highland cattle can be used to keep the brush growth to a sensible minimum. We were removing small birch and alder from amongst flowering gorse. Some of the stumps were left a few feet high to encourage the willow tits.

The team are on the edge of the new heathland.

The Million Ponds Project was started in 2011 and is a 50 year project to create a network of clean
water ponds for freshwater wildlife.

The ponds at Crabtree Hill have been created with their sponsorship.

Heathland ponds are biodiversity hotspots. They are highly variable and often experience extreme
conditions such as low nutrients, low pH and annual drought. As a result they support a special suite of
plants and animals, many of which are restricted to this habitat type.

Maintain the habitat by extensive grazing with cattle or ponies. Traditionally, heathland habitats were
maintained by free roaming stock which controlled scrub and halted succession. Their activity around
ponds also creates disturbance which maintains areas of bare ground

Time for a break!