Tarmac help restore rare Hertfordshire heathland

Endangered Herts heathland restored thanks to Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund grant

HERTS and Middlesex Wildlife Trust have undertaken a programme of conservation work to help restore 2ha of rare heathland habitat at Hertford Heath nature reserve, thanks to a grant from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.

Hertford Heath nature reserve is one of very few patches of surviving heathland in Hertfordshire which supports a special mix of wildlife.

Heathland habitat is currently endangered and in decline, with over 80% disappearing in the last 200 years. This decline has resulted in several heathland-dependent species becoming locally extinct in the country.

Lowland heathland is identified as a habitat of principal importance under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 and categorized as a priority habitat in the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan.

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust received just over £12,000 from the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund towards the project, to address the decline and secure the future of this endangered habitat and associated species it supports, increasing biodiversity and enhancing the natural environment.

Ian Carle, nature reserves manager at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, said: ‘We are really pleased with the work funded by Tarmac – scrapes carried out to remove vegetation and topsoil have already led to these areas being colonized by heathland plants, whilst felling and scrub removal works have helped us to increase the area of open heathland.’

Enrique Moran Montero, national restoration manager at Tarmac, said: ‘Restoring heathland habitat is particularly important, so we were keen to support this project through the Tarmac Landfill Communities Fund.

‘It is not only important to us that we restore our own sites to a high standard, but we are also keen to help other organizations with their restoration projects where we can.’