Allerthorpe Work Day

I led a conservation volunteering workday at Allerthorpe Common nature reserve, for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. We cut and raked an area of rough grassland in a corner of the reserve. We had three people brushcutting and three raking up.

 
It should improve the botanic diversity of the area in the spring. As well as the coarse grasses, we removed some of the brambles. They are good for wildlife, but you can have too much of a good thing. We disturbed a common shrew, which ran away surprisingly fast for such a small animal. I don’t think it liked having its home brushcut. Hopefully, there are lots more small mammals in there that kept their heads down.
 

 

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