Healthy ecosystems are complex, dynamic and biodiverse. This means that they are made up of a wide range of species, which interact with each other and their physical environment and makes them resilient to change and stressors. These species can be animals, plants, invertebrates, micro-organisms and others.
By restoring native habitats and reintroducing key missing species where appropriate, we hope to increase ecosystem function and health and see a substantial increase in biodiversity, including the return of other rare and threatened species.
When we think about sites like the Deer Park and the Haining, we first need to understand which species are present and what they indicate about the environment. We particularly need to understand species of conservation concern that are onsite. For example, butterflies such as the Northern Brown Argus (Aricia Artaxerxes) or birds such as the Skylark (Alauda arvensis) and Yellowhammer (Emberiza citronella), both of which are red listed by RSPB. Once identified, we need to then determine what we can do to protect those species.
As an example, we identified Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium) on Deer Park, an indicator species for calcareous grassland, a rare ecosystem. To protect this important habitat, we removed a number of non-native trees which overshadowed calcareous rocky outcrops where rock-rose was present. Trees are of course a vital part of a healthy ecosystem, but planted in the wrong place they can have a negative impact on some of our rarer habitats.
We also need to identify species which are not on the site but could be. For example, although the Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus), a European Protected Species, has not been identified at the Deer Park, it is present in the surrounding environment, with a female recorded under hibernacula at the Haining in 2024.
To encourage these species, we look at opportunities to further enhance the environment for them, e.g.
- For the Great Crested Newt, by undertaking the wetland restoration project or
- for the Green Hairstreak Butterfly (Callophrys rubi), by increasing the number of existing foodplants (e.g. Birds Foot Trefoil and Bilberry) for the butterflies and their caterpillars.
We also look at introducing missing species. For example:
- We will include underrepresented native tree species in hedgerow planting schemes and
- We are exploring opportunities to translocate important animal species, such as the Yellow Meadow Ant (Lasius flavus), a keystone species (an ‘ecosystem engineer’) for UK grasslands
To find out more about some of our species-specific projects, click on the links below:
Northern Brown Argus
Common Rock-Rose
Great crested newt