A GOVERNMENT-backed scheme to boost wildlife at Belhus Woods Country Park will launch this autumn.
The Countryside Stewardship Scheme supports long-term nature recovery to increase the variety of rare plant and animal life.
Belhus Woods, near Thurrock, is a rich blend of landscapes across 300 acres which have evolved from prehistoric settlements to the Normans, when it was a working woodland.
Providing a valuable environment for wildlife, the country park consists of veteran trees, open grassland, lakes, ancient woodlands and 400-year-old meadows.
Together these habitats support many rare and threatened species, along with more common ones.
The Countryside Stewardship Scheme will restore the wood pasture and grassland areas of the park through scrub management and livestock fencing.
The introduction of Red Poll cattle to both areas will result in natural land management through grazing so wildflowers can flourish.
Green hay cutting will also encourage the growth of wildflower species in the grassland, such as vetches and bord’s foot trefoil
Coppice rotation will allow trees, fauna and flora to flourish in the woodland area by thinning growth and dead wood, creating a habitat for the re-introduction of the endangered Dormouse.
The scheme will see an increase in fungi and diversity of wildlife such as bats, birds, insects and butterflies, including the Silver-washed Fritillary and rare Shrill Carder Bee.
It will be overseen by leading ecologists from Essex County Council’s Place Services as well as Natural England, the government’s statutory body responsible for natural green infrastructure.
A series of habitat audits and surveys will take place to ensure the scheme’s success. These will involve working with local animal monitoring groups, like the Essex Field Club.
Councillor Mark Durham, Cabinet Member for the Arts, Heritage and Culture, said: “This ambitious landscape restoration scheme at Belhus Woods Country Park will bring the past to life and help enhance and protect the environment for the future.
“Using natural land management techniques, the scheme will benefit rare and declining flora and fauna, introducing new species of wildflowers and animals to this wonderful ancient parkland.”
Visit www.explore-essex.com/landscape-restoration-belhus to find out more about the Countryside Stewardship Scheme at Belhus Woods Country Park.
