Dover Volunteers Update

Dover update (Karen Weeks)

The Dover reserve volunteers have just completed hedge-laying 160m of planted hedge, in time for the contractor coming in to install a new stock fence alongside it. We will be looking to hedge lay the other 500m stretch next winter. They have done a great job, having only learnt this new skill in November. If you are driving along the A2 approaching Dover, you can admire the work from the road! On top of that, they have had to endure 2 task days of clearing Holm oak off Old Park Hill’s steepest slope. The slope was too steep to continuously walk up and down throughout the day, so a volunteer chain had to be formed, to shift the cut holm oak down the slope to the bonfire. This was one of the toughest task days they had to do, but all the volunteers worked incredibly hard to get it done in a very short space of time. A big heartfelt thanks from me!

The Dover Castle checkers have had to say goodbye to our flock of Herdwicks, who have gone elsewhere for the winter. Some checkers have kept themselves busy by volunteering to check our Highlands and Koniks on our other Dover sites. Many thanks to them for doing so. Our Longhorns have also had to move to another reserve. The checkers miss them, but may also breath a slight sigh of relief, for having a break from searching for the cattle within large scrub blocks on Nemo Down and Gorse Hill. We hope to have both groups of livestock back, in the spring/summer.