First and Last – Our Living Working Landscape
Wild Penwith
Partners
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Outputs
Increasing biodiversity: providing Farm Surveys and Whole Farm Plans, and Small Grants and volunteer support for positive heritage and habitat management
Description
Bargednyow-Tir y’n Termyn a-dheu or Wild Penwith strived to improve the ecological resilience of the Penwith landscape. The favourable management of nature reserves and protected sites in isolation from the wider farm landscape does not prevent species declines, and this project aimed to create an ecological network across Penwith to allow species to thrive.
As such, for this project advice and support was be given to farmers on how to favourably manage the wildlife-rich places such as the downs, moors and cliffs, as well as on how productive farmland can contribute to a living landscape. To support this over the period of the project, farms across Penwith benefited from an ecology survey together with soil and nutrient testing. Where appropriate, actions were recommended that directly address negative impacts upon the environment, such as from diffuse pollution, inappropriate management or invasive non-native species.
Funding sources such as Countryside Stewardship or capital grants from the Penwith Landscape Partnership small grant fund were also explored with farmers, and we provided assistance in accessing these where appropriate.
PLP Volunteers have also contributed to caring for Penwith's biodiversity through the creation of new habitats, including trimming vegetation where appropriate to allow other species to thrive, and the collecting and dispersing of seed to support the creation of new wildlife meadows. The Penwith Wildlife Recording Group have also received training in how to identify many of Penwith's species, and how to accurately record this to boost knowledge of the current biodiversity in Penwith and provide a focus for future conservation efforts.
The lead partner on this project was the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and it was managed within the PLP team by our Ecologist and our Farm Environment Officer.
Please report any wildlife sightings within Penwith to ORKS (Online Recording for Kernow and Scilly), no matter how common the species - it helps build a record of the current biodiversity of Penwith and will help target conservation efforts. Report your wildlife sightings (or download the ORKS app) here
If you are a farmer in Penwith, you can find more information on our work with farmers on our Farming and Wildlife pages.
