Connecting with Wildlife Corridors

Butterflies, voles, bats and birds like a range of habitats spread over a large area. Rather than thinking about specific sites of rich wildlife across Easthall farm, we are now creating connecting networks of wildlife corridors. Connectivity starts with the special sites of rich biodiversity then creating links between them. Our latest project is a set of woodland corridors and hedges radiating from Hitch Wood.

With the help and enthusiasm of the St Paul’s Walden volunteers, we have just completed the latest part of the tree planting plan that encourages wildlife, large and small, to move between habitats.  While conserving wildlife is vital in places like Hitch Wood with its rare Barbastelle bat colonies, we need to connect these individual valuable locations with other sites across Easthall Farm and the wider landscape. In this way we can create larger networks of habitats, supporting more biodiversity and greater abundance of nature, while still growing the food we need in surrounding fields.

Connectivity for wildlife also requires stepping stones between areas and so future work will be started to ensure there is a network of ponds across the farm, so water based wildlife never has too far to go between sites.

It has also been lots of fun working on these tree corridors with the St Pauls Walden volunteer group. Getting involved in tree planting is a great way to connect not just with the nature around us, but also with others in the community. The volunteers will be doing further valuable recording of the wildlife along these corridors throughout the year. So get in touch if you want to join in a butterfly count, or join a team looking after the trees and hedges just planted. Just as wildlife likes to be connected, our connection to nature (and our connection to other nature lovers) is also important.   

The many roles of our trees and woodland

The many roles of our trees and woodland: Plans for balancing the love of countryside, wildlife, and future generations

With the hardships of the pandemic, many are seeking comfort and pleasure among trees. Connecting to nature has a big benefits for our wellbeing and this is needed more than ever.  Over the past few months the woodlands and hedgerow footpaths around St Pauls Walden and Hitchwood have been enjoyed like never before. Here at Easthall Farm, we have been managing these woodlands and hedgerows, and the past few months have been a time of reflection on how to maximise the benefits to all.

This has led to the question: what are woodlands for? This is at the heart of our Landscape, Conservation and Environmental Plan drawn up with the Wildlife Trust, a Woodland Plan drawn up with Maydencroft and the Woodland Trust, and the development of a new 10 year conservation plan developed with the charity Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group.  When asking ‘what are woodlands for?’ We identify three different perspectives that always need to be balanced.

Firstly, the plans for conservation put wildlife at the forefront of our minds. Monitoring of bats in Hitchwood by the Hertfordshire Bat Group and the Wildlife Trust over the past 18 months has shown that Easthall farm is hosting one of the largest maternity roosts of barbastelle bats. These are one of the most threatened species in the UK. They have been found across Hitchwood and shown to be feeding along the hedgerows and near water sources.   We are also closely monitoring plant species and birds around the woods.

The future of wildlife requires a diversity of landscapes and the need to ensure that specific different habitats are maintained. The new woodland plan for Easthall Farm focusses on the creation of a mosaic of different habitats and new planting to creating corridors for wildlife between existing ancient woodland and areas of rich biodiversity. The existing landscape mosaic will be maintained and enhanced with selective thinning to open up areas for new regeneration and ensuring the ancient tradition of coppicing continues. The sales of timber from this will cover some of the costs of the conservation as well as be the start of the timber’s next life in a building or furniture.

Managing this is difficult as what is good for one type of wildlife may be not so good for another. It is all about balance and having the best advice. Our plans show there has been large drop in natural regeneration and younger trees. This due to the lack of gaps to let light in to the ground, and deer grazing. Numbers of deer in the region have reached such high levels and deer grazing is impeding the regeneration with young trees. Careful deer culling, following the best examples, is needed to keep deer numbers at sustainable levels and to ensure the woodlands of the future will not be suffering.

The second role for our woodlands is focused on those who love being in the countryside. Half the population report walking for recreation once a week and there are others enjoying nature such as the 8% cycling for leisure and the 600,000 involved in field sports/shooting. Woodland is also a site for the Forest School activities that we have sadly had to stop during the pandemic. Over the years, Easthall farm has been working with local communities and our local council to put in place additional paths. These are located where people are wanting circular walks from their homes and around Hitchwood. The new planting of woodland is also alongside footpaths, often with the help of school children and other community members. These will be the place for enjoyment in the future.

For the third role of woodland, we look to the future. When planting a tree of managing existing woodland, our horizons are long term. Those benefiting may not be born yet or only just starting to enjoy the trees growing around them as they grow up. The benefits of tackling climate change with carbon sequestration by trees will come for these future generations (although already we are experiencing the effects today). Planting trees is one of the longest investments and so any plan has to consider the question: what will future generations think of today’s generation. Will we be seen as good ancestors?.  It is not just about new planting, but also about enhancing the existing woodlands so they can provide all the ecosystem services for the next 200 years. The careful thinning of trees will allow regeneration and a diverse range of habitats. This will include trees that may become the veteran trees in future centuries.

There is a danger that the pressures of today make us prioritise the immediate human needs of today. By communities and wildlife organisations coming together with farms and estates, we can discuss the different uses of woodlands and find ways of having a balance for both now and for the future.

Conservation and farming for future generations

This really is a tumultuous time for conservation and farming.  A climate emergency, flooding, leaving the EU, new environment and agriculture bills in government on top of all the usual uncertainty that farmers deal with at any time. But reflecting on this at Easthall Farm, one thing remains constant- our passion for growing food while sustaining biodiversity and preserving the countryside for future generations. By thinking about future generations, we can focus on the impact of our actions today.

As farmers and conservationists, we don’t know what the future holds but continue regardless. We don’t know what sort of business we will have in the future and with such uncertainty in the next few years, we need to prepare for many different scenarios.  Short term thinking is important but we need to be focussed on future generations. Just as previous generations thought about us as they planted trees that they would never appreciate, so famers today need to imagine the future. This is about being a ‘good ancestor’.

This series of blogs will be exploring issues of sustainability in farming. Based on what we are doing at Easthall Farm, I will be looking at how we can have wellbeing, sustainability and prosperity. These terms need to be explored and redefined. Prosperity is not about ‘money in the pocket’ in the short term. It is much more. It is about living well and living within environmental limits, what can be termed sustainable prosperity. It needs us to focus on the countryside and community to be enjoyed by future generations as well as those living now.  

The calls for ‘living well’ also challenges farmers to think about our roles. Part of that is growing wonderful food, but also doing this while protecting the countryside, encouraging biodiversity and creating space for good livelihoods for many others. It is also about encouraging access to nature, something that is shown to be vital for wellbeing.  

Previous blogs on this site have shown how we try (in our small way) to bring food and conservation together working with the Wildlife Trust and the Jordan’s Farm Partnership. There is a growing movement of growers pushing “Nature Friendly Farming” and sustaining the soil. There is also work with children to get them outdoors and learning in nature. As a certified Benefit Corporation (BCorp) we focus on the impact we are having around us, for now and for the future.

All this is done with future generations in mind. And at the start of a new decade, with the changes swirling around us, I take a break from trying to plan a business for an uncertain future by planting trees with friends and neighbours, not knowing who will enjoy them or what sort of world they will have been left by us. I wonder what sort of ancestor they will think we have been.

Open Farm Sunday

We had another successful Open Farm Sunday event on June 9th, with tractor rides, a chance to meet some farmers, and understand about how farming can help birds and other wildlife.

We had a fascinating focus this year on birds, and how conservation on farm land is important for ensuring we support a wide range of wildlife. Our farming neighbours Rosemary and David Pateman joined Fran, Fergus and Tom, bringing their interactive displays and lots of bird seed, to help share the ideas about conservation. At Easthall Farm, we partner with Lionel Shaw for our arable work and we welcomed him and his son Edward along with their new no-till drill to explain why we don’t plough our crop land anymore and the benefits of establishing crops without disturbing the soil life.

This year we really noticed a growing appreciation for growing food with wildlife in mind, and particular interest in our pasture based beef. We were also able to share some of the fruits of our labour with Jordan’s Cereals making sure we let everyone leave with something to remind them of the day.

We farmers can always find things to complain about.  And this year was no exception with weather, politics and business all making things difficult at times. So it is a real pleasure to hear the appreciation from visitors as we share and discuss our work on conservation and growing food. It really means a lot and reminds us of all the great things about British farming.

Wildlife conservation when you buy your food

We have an impact on wildlife and the environment every breakfast, lunch and dinner as we tuck into the next meal. We can ask ourselves: Where does food come from and is that producer doing all they can for wildlife? We are thinking about this as we do our annual audit for the Linking Environment and Farming LEAF marque. This gives us a rigorous assessment of all the conservation activities we are doing and ensuring we have very high environmental management standards in place. It also helps us through being able to be part of the Jordan’s Farm Partnership, where we get an additional payment for each ton of oats sold, that we can then put back into conservation activities. This requires us to put at least 10% of the farm into wildlife friendly measures with a particular focus on summer flower meadows for bees and crops to provide winter seed supplies for birds.

This is a great way for consumers to know that as they tuck into their breakfast, they are also funding conservation. We hope that it will go beyond the breakfast cereal and that we can have conservation focused bread in our lunch sandwiches and conservation focused beef for dinner.