Wildlife Trust conservation grazing programme boosted by new arrivals as team rises to lockdown challenge.
All hail the dedication of the staff and volunteers who helped navigate a testing lambing and calving season during lockdown.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, the county’s largest locally based environmental charity, has today hailed the dedication of the staff and volunteers who helped navigate a testing lambing and calving season during lockdown.
The Trust utilises a number of breeds of sheep and cattle to carry out traditional grazing management on its nature reserves across the county and lambing and grazing takes place each year at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve near Retford, its largest site. Whilst working with livestock is always a challenge, the fact that the team’s busiest time of year coincided with the strictest period of lockdown made the work even more testing this year.
Thankfully the dedicated team, which includes a number of experienced volunteers did an amazing job and 7 Lincoln Red calves, 63 Hebridean lambs and 73 Herdwick lambs have been welcomed.
Whilst born at the Idle Valley, an expansive network of wetland and other wildlife habitats alongside the River Idle, the animals will help to graze nature reserves the length and breadth of the county, helping to conserve and restore traditional wild flower meadows, heathlands and other habitats.
Speaking about the efforts of the team, Wildlife Trust Chief Executive Paul Wilkinson said:
Keeping our staff, volunteers and livestock safe and well is always a high priority and this has been especially so during lockdown. Carrying out the essential task of lambing and calving whilst at the same time managing the risk of COVID-19 was very challenging but the team have done a tremendous job. The effort of the volunteers involved also underlines just how important volunteers are to our success.Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust
