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01/02/2012 15:13: Funding Boost for Wye Community Farm

Wye Community Farm has received a £9750 funding boost from SITA Trust, to carry out habitat enhancement work on the Wye National Nature Reserve.

SITA Trust provides funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for community and environmental groups to carry out a range of improvement projects.

The funding will enable Wye Community Farm to clear scrub and bramble in the Devils Kneading Trough, the focal point of the Wye National Nature Reserve. The Devils Kneading Trough is home to a small colony of The Duke of Burgundy butterfly, an endangered species targeted in the UK Government’s Biodiversity Action Plan.

Undergrazing in recent years has seen scrub and bramble encroach on the site, so smothering the grassland and more specifically the cowslip upon which the Duke of Burgundy feeds. Restoration of the grassland, and careful grazing of the site in future years by Wye Community Farm’s livestock, should ensure the future survival of the Duke of Burgundy on the reserve.

Scrub clearance is being carried out by local contractors, supported by Wye Community Farm volunteers and clients from Kent Probation.

Graham Potts, Chairman of Wye Community Farm, says "The Devils Kneading Trough is a nationally important site for some of Britain’s rarest species, and we are delighted to be able to carry out this habitat improvement work as a part of the Wye Community Farm’s commitment to promoting environmentally sustainable food production."

Jools Granville of SITA Trust said ‘ We are delighted to work once again with Wye Community Farm. Over the years this applicant has built an impressive track record in delivering real biodiversity benefits with relatively small grants. We are very much looking forward to seeing how this project develops’