Ashford and Dover Volunteers - April 2022 update

This great shot was taken with a trap camera at one of the Orlestone Forest woodland sites that we work at. Alan Cooper has been heavily involved with managing this woodland for over 30 years, with the main priority species being the woodland butterflies. However, the presence of fallow deer are another benefit of the woodland management that the Ashford team carry out each year. 

The volunteers working with Mark Tuson on the High Downs project have just completed this new section of electric fence. One of our targets is the restoration of neglected areas of heathland, and this work will allow us to graze cattle on land owned by the Forestry Commission.  The land is tucked away in woodlands between Stelling Minis and Elham.

If anyone locally would like to help with livestock checking in this wonderfully remote part of Kent, please get in touch by emailing volunteering@kentwildlife.org.uk

The Dover reserve volunteers have completed a successful winter cutting season, despite the Highland cattle’s best efforts to always get in the way at Old Park Hill! Over the past few weeks, we have had great turnouts at our joint task days with the RNR team, the Chough aviary volunteers and volunteers from Port of Dover. If anyone wishes to join the team, please do get in touch. 

The Old Park Hill and Nemo livestock checker teams have been fantastic in continuing their checks at Gorse Hill in Dover where the livestock from both sites have been moved to. They are excellent at always making sure that all checks are covered to reduce staff time.  

The checker team at Dover Castle managed to avoid getting blown off the moat slopes around the time of Storm Eunice but also have had to cope with glares from the sheep demanding to be fed!