Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2012 | Page 106

COUNTRY LIFE
Cetti’s warbler and barn owl, and wetland
specialists, such as the marsh cinquefoil, reed
warbler, sedge warbler and reed bunting,
as well as important wintering sites for the
lapwing and common snipe.
The new reserve does, however, require
some work if it is to act as both a
springboard for wetland wildlife into the
wider valley and a demonstration of how
people and wildlife can be brought together
for their mutual benefit.
The improvements that the Trust is
planning to help wildlife include:
- reducing fencing and regularly clearing
ditches to prevent the open site becoming
fragmented.
- taking out some trees that shade the ditches
and are reducing the grassland available to
hunting barn owls.
- making the internal ditches longer, which
will increase the habitat for water voles and
also help keep the reedbed wet and healthy.
- removing non-native plants, such as
Parrot’s feather and Himalayan balsam, that
displace native riverside plants and make it
difficult for kingfishers to fish.
To improve access for people, as a priority
the Trust will be replacing stiles with gates.
New way-markers and on-site interpretation
will welcome visitors and explain all about
the site. There will be regular guided walks,
during the Isle of Wight Walking Festival
and at other times, to update the public on
what has been achieved.
This important work will not take place
overnight. Over the next five years, the
Wildlife Trust will be working with local
landowners, graziers, anglers and other
local interest groups to manage the site for
people and wildlife. Sandown Meadows is a
small but crucial link in a chain of wildlife
habitats through the valley, and the support
of Wildlife Trust members and the public
will be vital to help us fulfil the plans for
this wonderful site.
Acquiring Sandown Meadows is great news
for the Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscape
vision in the Upper Eastern Yar, as it will
allow further conservation links to be forged
up and down the valley. Nature reserves
are being managed to the west and east of
Sandown Meadows, so making this area all
the more important to help our wildlife
thrive in areas threatened by the encroaching
modern world.
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The Upper Eastern Yar Valley, where
Sandown Meadows sits, is one of the
Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes. With
high biodiversity and landscape value,
Living Landscapes are areas that have
been highlighted by the Trust as needing
action to halt the loss of the habitats or
species found there. These areas are also
important as they provide opportunities
for bringing people closer to precious
examples of their natural heritage.