Since my last blog, spring and summer have passed by and now the colours of autumn are starting to peek through. With these changes in season, comes a variety of new jobs to manage our nature reserves.
Skills through the seasons
Hay spreading at Hollybed Farm Meadows by Chris Ellory
As the seasons change, so do the tasks on our nature reserves. Conservation trainee Jack explains more…
Gatekeeper butterfly by Jack Hobday
In spring and summer, our beautiful meadow nature reserves come alive with colour and texture, with grasses shooting up and wildflowers in bloom. However, when we approach autumn and flowers have passed, it’s time for the annual hay cut - one of my favourite tasks. We get the opportunity to use some particularly fancy mowers, that are designed to cut the very bottom of long grass. The fantastic roving volunteers, who join us every Tuesday and Thursday, then help us to rake the hay cuttings. Most wildflowers thrive in nutrient-poor conditions, so by raking hay off our meadows, we are encouraging their growth and reducing competition from overpowering grass species. Raking also spreads flower seeds around the meadow, further improving chances of seeing wildflower species next year. With all our meadows needing the same treatment, this is one of the most time-consuming summer jobs!
Our frequent travels to Trust nature reserves (whatever the weather), often involve navigating some tricky terrain. Therefore, it’s no surprise that a required assessment within the traineeship is an off road 4 x 4 driving and trailer test. Heading further afield to Coventry, we took it in turns to drive a Land Rover Discovery over a course that tested our skills driving through water, down steep hills and on a reverse descent- a reverse descent is where you put the Land Rover in low reverse gear and take your feet completely off all pedals to allow the vehicle to use its own engine power to move slowly and safely. It’s definitely an odd feeling; every instinct is telling you not to take your feet off the pedals! On the second day, we completed a trailer course. Considering I have lots of practice driving a horsebox full of reindeer, I didn’t find this too difficult.
Looking forward to the rest of autumn and the colder winter months, I’m excited to learn more about woodland management. This will include getting my chainsaw licence and conducting tree surveys. I used a chainsaw regularly in my previous job, so we’ll see how many bad habits I have picked up!
Jack joined us as a conservation trainee, after developing a love for wildlife through work and studies.