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Cattle make a welcome comeback
Traditional farming methods have been reintroduced at RSPB Blacktoft Sands, near Goole, as part of a project aimed at protecting and restoring the country's last remaining grazing marshes.
For the first time since the mid-19th century, cattle from a local farm will spend the summer months grazing on the marshland.
This seasonal practice, which was once commonplace along the Humber estuary, will help to keep the grass in prime condition for birds and other wildlife.
As well as providing rich grazing for the cattle, the marsh's wild flowers, grass and wetland areas offer nest sites, food and shelter for lapwings, skylarks, curlews, hares, water voles, toads and pipistrelle bats. They are also home to more unusual birds, such as black-tailed godwits and reed buntings.
Ian Higginson, the RSPB's Humber area manager, explained: "It is probably the first time that cattle have grazed on this land for 150 to 200 years, when they would have grazed much of the land alongside the Humber estuary.
"Blacktoft Sands is a unique throwback to that time as most of our floodplain grazing marsh was drained to make way for agriculture. The marsh is still connected to the river estuary and floods seasonally, resulting in a unique, wildlife-rich landscape."
The project has been made possible with a 15,000 grant from Biffaward, a landfill tax fund that awards grants to community and environmental projects across the UK.
The money will be awarded over three years, but Ian is confident that the idea of allowing cattle to graze the marsh is very much the way forward and expects to see this approach continue for the foreseeable future.
He added: "It was a great moment when the cows arrived on the grazing marsh. It is even better to know that they are doing a great job in producing just the right conditions for breeding birds and other wildlife.
"The rich pasture will enable the cows to pile on weight over the summer, which should result in a
good premium for the farmer."
Blacktoft Sands is one of 14 sites involved in the RSPB and Biffaward's national coastal and floodplain grazing marsh programme, which was established in a bid to preserve some of the most threatened habitats in the country.
Managing the habitat is a year-round job; as well as putting up fencing to contain the cattle, staff and volunteers remove litter washed up by the tide,
and monitor plants and wildlife.
Biffaward programme manager Gillian French said: "We're proud to sponsor projects that help improve our countryside and encourage us to learn more about our natural environment.
"Introducing cows is just one way this project will help to enrich the surrounding area and its wildlife for years to come."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Friday 25 May 2012
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