Look after established wildlife habitats

01 February 2019

Hare in grass

Start by assessing what important wildlife habitats you already have on the farm. Maintaining, or where necessary, restoring existing habitats such as woodland, ponds and ditches, flower-rich grassland or field margins is critical to the survival of much of the wildlife on your farm. Looking after what your farm already offers to wildlife can deliver real benefits without the need to create new habitats.

Grassland

On grassland, give priority to areas that have not been heavily improved, for example through re‑seeding or nutrient inputs. Under the right management, such grassland can benefit wildlife, provide carbon storage and protect water.

Flower‑rich grassland or wet grassland are a very high priority and can also often be supported by agri‑environment funding – seek advice from an environmental adviser.

Farm Nature Discovery Event Clun June 2018_56296

Arable

On arable land, consider where you can use unproductive land to create new habitats that complement what you already have.

Are there awkward corners and difficult boundaries to cultivate on your farm? Take them out of production to work for wildlife. This could:

  • Make field work more efficient
  • Provide buffers to important habitats
  • Provide habitat for butterflies, bees and bats
  • Provide linking corridors between habitats on your farm

CFE VM 17 cropped_60642


Ask us a question about this page

Once you have submitted your query someone from the team will contact you. If needed, your query will then be passed to the appropriate NFU policy team.

The information you provide will be used for the purpose of recording and responding to your query. It will be processed in accordance with the provisions of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 and the NFU's Privacy Notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.