Today, 28th July, marks World Nature Conservation Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the vital importance of protecting our natural resources and preserving the environment for future generations.

We’re excited to welcome our new Environmental Conservation Officer, Mark, who joined the Rare Breeds team last week. Below, Mark shares insights into his role, his passion for the environment, and his hopes for the future of conservation on the farm.

Mark, right with Howard, our Director of Commercial Operations

Mark’s ethos

As Environmental Conservation Officer at Rare Breeds Centre I am responsible for managing and improving the biodiversity of the woodland, wildflower meadow and ponds at Highlands Farm. My background in forestry, primarily working sweet chestnut and hornbeam coppice in semi-natural ancient woodland in Kent, and relying on traditional methods such as using heavy horses for timber extraction, has laid the foundations for my woodland ethos that now guides my approach in all the management and conservation work I do.

Managing woodlands

The demand for the woodland products that gave rise to the managed woodlands we are surrounded by in Kent has waned over the last couple of hundred years or so, meaning many woodlands have been neglected and are now in poor condition. If these woodlands are managed in a similar way to in the past, which means the maintenance of open rides and pathways, the periodic felling of coppice and the thinning of new plantations, then the increased light levels and resulting regrowth are what drive the biodiversity gains we are after. For it to be a truly effective and holistic approach then we need to find uses for absolutely all the product as well. Specifically, here, the wood and any cut hay. Conservation for the sake of conservation will only get us so far.

A holistic approach

All the work we do here at Rare Breeds Centre needs to subscribe to this holistic ethos of informed management, minimal damage, zero waste and disciplined and timely interventions. This will result in a sustainable and biodiverse landscape that can be enjoyed by everyone who visits the farm and surrounding countryside, because a healthy and biodiverse landscape is a beautiful one. Ultimately, it’s about simply having a kind and considerate relationship with the natural landscape that surrounds us.”

Learn more about Conservation around the trust. Our conservation projects involve a great deal of dedicated work. If you’re interested in sponsoring one, learn more here.

The Rare Breeds Centre is primarily a farm attraction, however, with 100 acres of woodland, wildflower meadows and ponds, there is much more wildlife at our site than our visitors may realise. So, we asked our conservation officer to provide an update in celebration of  World Wildlife Conservation Day!

As we approach winter, much is changing in the wild world, as the weather drops, and daylight closes in. Winter berries are appearing onsite, such as hawthorn, blackthorn, spindle and holly, which birds and mice will rely on in their search for protein-rich foods. Many animals will be growing their thick winter coats ready for the changing weather on our site – these animals prepared for the cold include badgers and polecats.

 Getting ready for hibernation

It is time for the Kent Mammal Group to clean and close our dormouse boxes for the winter, as dormice head to the understory to hibernate under leaves and log piles. Other animals hibernating on our site include bats, such as the Daubenton’s bat and soprano pipistrelle which have previously been found on the site. Toads, frogs, great crested newts, smooth and palmate newts are all hibernating underneath rocks, in cracks and below the frost lines until spring; some great crested newts will even hibernate in the pond if conditions are perfect. Grass snakes, adders, lizards and slowworms will also join in the winter hibernation. Most butterflies and moths will also enter a dormant phase in the cold weather, similarly, the Butterfly Tunnel on our site is also shut down for the winter as they struggle to survive in the cold temperatures.

Bumblebee news

The Bumblebee Conservation Group have concluded their BeeWalks for the year, as the colonies die, and the new queens hibernate beneath the ground, ready to emerge next year and create a new colony. The BeeWalks occur once a month from March to October, when bumblebee activity is at its highest. Despite an overall decline in the UK bumblebee population, the Rare Breeds Centre site has still hosted a wide variety of species this summer, including Buff tailed bumblebees, Common carders, and the rare, Ruderal.

Fungus is among us!

All the autumn rain brought huge influxes of mushrooms of all kinds, from Turkey tails and Jelly ears to Sulphur tufts and Amanita. As we say goodbye to autumn and the winter rolls in, most fungi stop producing mushrooms but are very much still alive below the ground. The rain has also meant that ponds have filled back up, and streams around the site are flowing again after drying out in the summer months.

Preserving habitats

Winter is a great time of year to top up dead hedges after cutting back and clearing branches from the woodland floor. Hedges can be trimmed now that nesting season is over, and leaves swept from paths to prevent animals hibernating in areas where they may be harmed. The ground conditions in the woodlands will vary greatly over the winter months, with hard ground in the frosts, and much softer ground and mud when the frosts melt. Habitats will be carefully maintained and managed to ensure successful hibernation for our resident wildlife, and to ensure a suitable environment for emerging in spring.

If you visit the Rare Breeds Centre in the winter months and venture to the woodlands, be sure to be mindful of log piles and fallen leaves and keep an eye out for animals feeding on winter berries and sheltering from the wind.