GREENFIELDS

John Powell, Reserves Officer with the Trust, writes about one of the Trust's lesser-known nature reserves which is now gaining a higher profile, and where the conservation volunteers have been active recently.

Greenfields is an Local Nature Reserve forming part of the Whitchurch Waterways Country Park. It is a valuable site not only as it forms part of a green corridor that reaches into the town of Whitchurch, but also because of the presence of water voles along the length of Stags Brook that runs along the southern edge of the reserve. The site also contains areas of semi - natural woodland and unimproved grassland.

The future management of the site is continuing to evolve as the importance of the site and its habitats are recognized. The site also has large potential for amenity use by the local community, and is walked regularly by people from the neighboring housing estates. To improve the amenity value of the site for the local community a circular walk is to be created utilizing the woodland running along the southern boundary. This will allow people to gain access to the woodland and the wide variety of species contained within.

Stags Brook will principally be managed to create a more suitable habitat for water voles using Environment Agency guidelines, and will be surveyed and monitored by the Trust in conjunction with the Northern Shropshire Countryside Service. The Whitchurch Branch of the Trust is also involved with the project and is instrumental in setting up a Water Vole Project for 2006.

This autumn has also seen the presence of 25 sheep on the site for the first time, and despite several false starts the sheep have made it their home. Sheep are the preferred animal to graze Greenfields due to its sloping nature and the tendency for it to become waterlogged, as they limit the potential poaching impact. The presence of the sheep excited the local residents, and the fluffy white beasts were met with cheers as they began prancing about the site.

According to the interpretation board at the entrance, Grizzled Skipper butterflies are present, although no records have been received recently. The grazing might improve their chances.

The changes so far to the management at Greenfields have been a success, and the future looks bright for both the site and the local community as a whole.