Grazing animals play crucial role for nature

THIS year, I've left a larger area of lawn to grow a bit wilder. Early primroses have given way to buttercups and long grasses with impressive seed-heads, which now host the local house sparrow creche. The new arrivals are enjoying the bounty of insects lurking in the longer lawn.

- With Stuart McCarthy-Thompson

Experimenting with different cutting lengths over the past couple of years has increased the array of wildflowers that are popping up in the lawn.

I've had to remove a few thistles, and a couple of unknown shrubs attempted to come through, but the main task has been the final cut in the late summer and the removal of clippings.

On my small patch at home, it's an easy job but, at a landscape scale, grazing animals play a crucial role in managing grassland areas, including those on Avon Wildlife Trust's nature reserves.

The conservation grazers

The arrival of cattle at Ebdon Farm recently was a welcome return, including some wonderful Gloucesters along with Herefords and Shorthorns.

During this discovery phase of one of our most ambitious projects, the cattle will help to boost floral diversity by lowering the nutrient levels to unlock hidden seed banks within the soil.