COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
life
Ningwood Common
– a Unique Reserve
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Ningwood Common Wildlife Reserve
is the only place in the country
where you will find a natural
population of the rare reddish buff
moth. But for volunteers and staff,
maintaining the Island’s equivalent
of the giant panda is a full time
challenge.
Every wildlife reserve is important and
Ningwood Common on the Isle of Wight is
no exception. In fact as the only home of
the last remaining population in Britiain of
the rare reddish buff moth, it holds a unique
place among the Trust’s reserves.
The reddish buff thrives on Ningwood’s
warm heathy grassland making the most of
the short grasses and abundant sawwort,
the food plant of the reddish buff’s
caterpillar. The current challenge for the
Trust is to ensure these favourable conditions
continue to exist. To maintain this vital
habitat takes significant human endeavour
as well as careful management of the other
species likely to call Ningwood home.
Article by Richard Grogan
In 2008 with funding from the West
Wight Landscape Project, the Wildlife Trust
undertook a much needed clearance of
the scrub on the site to increase the area
for the heathland and reddish buff habitat.
This work, which involved the removal of
scrub with a digger, disturbs the soil and
brings deeply buried seeds to the surface
and prevents the need for future use of
herbicides to keep scrub regrowth in check.
Whilst the initial lack of vegetation looks
quite dramatic, the grassland, sawwort
and heather will colonise this open ground
very quickly. The scrub clearance will be
complemented by the introduction of
grazing animals - native breed cattle during the summer months. Native breeds
are hardy and can live on the poor nutrient
levels found in the heathland plants as well
browsing thorny scrub.
The open areas will also provide homes
for the small pearl-bordered fritillary –
Photo:Ningwood Wildlife Reserve
Photo Above: Garden by David Kilbey
The western part of the reserve is the
stronghold of the reddish buff moth and is
a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Due to
the rarity of the moth, the Trust is obliged
to keep the population thriving at Cranmore
and is required to maintain strong links
with both Natural England and Butterfly
Conservation who advise the Trust on
management of this species.
Water Vole by Chris Bean
The Island's mo 7B