Volunteers spruce up Staffordshire nature reserve under summer sunshine
Volunteers have braved the scorching heat to join efforts to spruce up a wildlife hotspot.
The team of helpers got together to boost Staffordshire Wildlife Trust's work to maintain Brankley Pastures Nature Reserve.
The group from manufacturer British Gypsum’s Fauld Mine in Burton-on-Trent joined regular trust volunteers in a day of action at the green space, near Barton-under-Needwood.
Marie Prince, British Gypsum’s regional environment, health and safety partner, said: “As part of our local community engagement and wellbeing programme, getting colleagues together from the mine and head office to support this type of vital work was really rewarding for all of us.
“As part of our contribution to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s 50th anniversary celebrations this year, and our company’s commitment to sustainability, we work with many wildlife trusts around the country.
"We enjoyed working with the Staffordshire group and making our own contribution to its ongoing work at this Reserve, located close to our Fauld Mine site.”
The trust has been running a long-term project at the reserve to restore arable land to wildlife-rich wood pasture, which once covered much of the landscape.
Volunteers helped removed ragwort during their time at the reserve, as the plant is poisonous to the grazing animals the trust uses to manage grassland.
Ragwort was pulled out from an area of wildflower meadow and wood pasture, home to many species including english oak, knapweed, yellow rattle, bluebell, yellow hammer, skylark, and holly.
Lucy O'Toole, reserves officer for Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, said: "We are extremely grateful to the team from British Gypsum for helping us with ragwort removal at our Brankley Pastures Reserve.
"They really got stuck in during the day and are a great team; we really appreciate their help carrying out this work. Ragwort spreads very easily and can soon become dominant so it is important it is managed effectively."
