Category: Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

Scrape completed in Pewsey

Posted on by Debbie Newman

Another scrape was completed this week as part of the species recovery project “Conservation from the ground up”.

We scraped off the topsoil to create a bare patch of chalk which will be colonised by wild and site-specific species of plants, which will not be outcompeted by the stronger grasses, and which will also be good for butterflies. By doing this, we have also established a chalk bank which also creates other habitats especially on the sheltered side, out of the wind.

See our blog on early scapes for Pewsey Downs Farmers Group         One more next week

20th September

scape completed in Pewsey

Ash clearance checking for bat roosts

Posted on by Debbie Newman

Last one for this week.

As part of an ash clearance, we had surveyed all the trees in the woodland last year.

Those with potential bat habitat were recorded and numbered. These were then checked again from a MEWP with an ecologist prior to felling.

Following that, 4 trees of the 143 trees surveyed,  were found to have bats within them so were left untouched.

See our new BNG page here. 

ash clearance - checking for bat roosts

Conservation from the ground up

Posted on by Debbie Newman

This week we have started work up on the Pewsey Downs as part of a species recovery project creating scrapes and banks on chalk grassland to help provide habitats for a variety of butterflies and insects Pewsey Downs Farmers Group

See too our newly focussed webpage on BNG – Biodiversity Net Gain

And here’s Alex on another sctape – a bit more of a task on this bank.

Grenade Range Refurbishment Warminster April 2021

Posted on by Debbie Newman
Something a little different for us  – we recently started a project to refurbish a grenade range at Warminster.
We needed to remove 500 tons of limestone gravel, undertake repairs to the sub-base and increase the area to the required specification.
The throwing bays were also dug out and will be restored once the main range floor has been reinstated.
Grenade Range Refurbishment Warminster April 2021 Grenade Range Refurbishment Warminster April 2021 Grenade Range Refurbishment Warminster April 2021 Grenade Range Refurbishment Warminster April 2021 Grenade Range Refurbishment Warminster April 2021

Covering an ancient burial site with chain link mesh March 2021

Posted on by Debbie Newman
Something different this week:  we needed to cover an ancient burial site ( Tumulus ) with chainlink mesh to prevent the local badger population from calling it home; this helps to preserve anything inside the mound.   The funny shape was caused by tanks driving over it for practice before heading off to active duty in WW1!
The area is called Snail Down at Everleigh.  See the Historic England information here.
With thanks to Wiki: A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or kurgans, and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones built for various purposes, may also originally have been a tumulus. Wikipedia
covering an ancient burial site with chain link mesh

Timber Firing Points, Warminster Ranges

Posted on by Debbie Newman

Our original Facebook post at the beginning of November showed that we were making a number of these. We mentioned that they would be painted cream and concreted to the ground.   But we didn’t get many replies as to what they would be used for, so we thought you’d like to know the answer!

They are, in fact, timber firing points we installed at Warminster Ranges, all made in-house.  And they had to be painted country cream as they didn’t want bright white!

timber firing points Warminster Ranges

Pond refurbishment Marston

Posted on by Debbie Newman

A recent pond refurbishment with 15 years of silt and leaf mould removed.  We retained some water and all the fish and then laid a new liner.  The pond was then refilled to which we added the retained water to get the microbes started.

To see some more examples of our work which isn’t tree surgery, tree surveys or fencing, please see here.

And now adding a new photograph in June 2019 of what it looks like 6 months later.  Really does illustrate the “before and after”…

Pond refurbishment

And this is the ‘after’ shot taken in June 2019, six months after the preparation works