Rare chalk grassland species in Bedfordshire are safer thanks to a three year conservation project which ends this month.
The Network for Nature project funded by National Highways centred on Blow’s Downs, one of the most important nature reserves in the north Chilterns area around Luton and Dunstable, and a popular green space for local residents.
The £76,000 of funding allowed Wildlife Trust staff to explore new ways to protect the precious habitat and also supported new signage, a monument and community engagement activity to give visitors and nearby school children an insight into the fascinating natural history of the site.
“Blow’s Downs is a jewel in the crown of Bedfordshire’s nature reserves,” said Aidan Matthews, Wildlife Trust Reserve Manager for Bedfordshire. “But when this project started the information boards were tired and out of date and we were struggling to hold back scrub from taking over.
“The Network for Nature funding from National Highways has truly benefitted the site allowing us to install new livestock fencing, new benches and improve signage, as well as complete a scrub management study on the steep hillsides which will steer our management of the reserve for the next 30 years.
“We are grateful for their support in maintaining and improving this valuable wild greenspace, used frequently by the urban communities of Luton and Dunstable.”
The funding allowed staff to carry out vital research into the management of scrub on nature reserves. Without the large grazing animals that once roamed the British Isles, brambles and other woody plants can take over and grassland that supports wildflowers, butterflies and other rare species can be lost. At Blows Downs, where the chalky soil is particularly important for a range of threatened species, they tested different methods of clearing scrub including bringing in machinery to carry out large scale work quickly, and relying on volunteers and staff to clear an area manually over a longer period. The wildlife was monitored throughout giving us a much clearer understanding of how to manage and care for this, and other similar chalk reserves, in the future.
There is also now a suite of updated interpretation boards that explain the conservation significance of this site as well as its rich history and cultural heritage. Benches have been installed and a new monument has been erected looking out over the surrounding landscape commemorating the work of John Rafters, founding member of the Blow’s Downs Conservation Group who lobbied for the preservation of the open area adjacent to the reserve when it was threatened with the construction of a bypass road and housing development. The project has also helped support an education programme in a number of local primary schools, engaging young people with nature and explaining the significance of Blow’s Downs.
