Conservation Grazing Archives | Page 2 of 10

Category Archives: Conservation Grazing

Grazers and Browsers

The role of large mammals in ecosystems. It’s National Mammal Week and at PONT we wanted to raise awareness of the grazing animals that help to manage ecosystems across Wales. Large herbivores such as cows, ponies and sheep are key in shaping the character of a habitat. To demonstrate how, we

Grazer of the Week 19th October; Teleri the Torwen

Continuing our waxcap grasslands theme, Teleri is grazing at a farm near Dylife in Powys. The flock of Torwen badger faced sheep are grazing with two ponies, which is preserving these grasslands for at least seven species of waxcaps which are found fruiting here at this time of year. The horses

Grazer of the Week 11th October; Ellie Wellie the Balwen

Ellie Wellie. Photo Rebecca Thomas Our Grazer of the Week is Ellie Wellie the Balwen Welsh Mountain sheep, who is providing vital conservation grazing on waxcap grasslands at Waun Las NNR. Waun Las is a National Nature Reserve and an economically-viable organic working farm at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Habitat in Focus; Waxcap Grasslands

Take a walk across unimproved upland sheep pasture at this time of year and your eye may be caught by a splash of bright colour in the sward. Autumn is the time when the fruiting bodies of waxcap fungi (Hygrocybe) emerge and they are truly extraordinary. In a variety of colours,

Grazer of the Week 4th October; White Walker the Welsh Pony

Formally feral pony, White Walker recently made the move from the Gower Hills to the edge of the Black Mountains. So named for her eerie blue eye! With her sister Baby Dice, she is grazing a wet meadow with dominant molinia grass, to help maintain the habitat for marsh fritillary butterflies.

Species in Focus; Marsh Fritillary

Look closely at the ground in a marshy grassland at this time of year and if you’re very lucky, you could spot the larval webs of the beautiful marsh fritillary butterfly. The marsh fritillary is a threatened butterfly, small in stature but beautifully patterned. Once widespread in Britain, they have declined