Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2013/January 2014 | Page 49

COUNTRY LIFE
grassland. In winter, lapwings, golden
plovers and other wading birds use the
cliff-tops to feed.
7) Mammals, such as brown hares and
water voles, are found in the cliff-top
grassland and ditches and streams
leading to the chines.
8) Humans first started living near the
chines about 12,000 years ago. The
chines offered sheltered conditions,
sources of freshwater, and a food supply
of seabirds, fish and wild animals, such
as elk.

Ph oto: Da ve Pa rke r

9) Established in the 1860s as a part
of the coastal defence network, the
Military Road has been used as a public
road since 1930. But this popular
tourist route is under threat from
the constant erosion of the cliffs and
formation of new chines. A sustainable
alternative to the road is often
discussed, and maintenance of the road
into the future will become increasingly
difficult.

Your local
Wildlife Trust
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Wildlife Trust works to create
a better future for wildlife and
wild places in Hampshire and

10) Although The Isle of Wight Soft
Cliffs and Chines Project has ended,
the Wildlife Trust is still sponsoring
a long-term study into the effects
of cliff stabilisation on invertebrate
communities on the Island’s south
coast. Here, the Trust is keen to find
out the long-term effects of coastal
defence schemes on the invertebrate
communities dependent on the cliff
erosion.

the Island. As the leading local
wildlife conservation charity, it
looks after 57 wildlife reserves,
has 28,000 members and 1,000
volunteers. The Trust manages
its own land and advises other
landowners how to manage
Photo: Ted Hollowa y

their land with wildlife in mind.
Staff and volunteers also carry
out surveys and gather data to
monitor how our local wildlife
is doing.
Beechcroft House, Vicarage
Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire
SO32 2DP
Tel: [phone]

Photo: Richa rd Te mple

www.hiwwt.org.uk
www.visitislandlife.com

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