A brighter future for Berkshire's rare pale dog-violets

Wednesday 16th June 2010

The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust has made an important land purchase that will benefit species including the nationally scarce pale dog-violet.

The Trust has bought an extension to its Inkpen Common Nature Reserve, which it has owned and managed since 1991. The site is a remnant of the old Inkpen Great Common, and is dominated today by heathland and some woodland. Heathland was once a widespread habitat across Berkshire, but much of it has been lost to development and agricultural change. Today, only a few precious fragments survive. The delicate pale dog violet has tripled in number at Inkpen due to BBOWT's careful management of the site, and it is hoped that it will be just one of many species that will benefit from the new extension as its becomes incorporated into the rest of the reserve.

The new extension is over one hectare in size, the majority of which BBOWT plans to restore to heathland through a programme of scrub, bracken and bramble control. The additional rough grassland will also be a valuable grazing resource for BBOWT's ponies. Scrub removal is expected to benefit a range of species including heather, lousewort, and the pale dog-violet.

Dr Kate Dent, Head of Conservation and Education for BBOWT in Berkshire explains: "The violets on the original part of the reserve have responded brilliantly to active heathland management and pony grazing - a success we hope to repeat on the new extension over the coming years."The purchase of the adjoining land was made possible by the Inkpen Poor's Allotment Trust generously offering BBOWT first refusal on the sale - an opportunity the Trust simply couldn't miss!

Kate said: "I am very grateful to the Inkpen Poor's Allotment Trustees as, without their commitment to offering us first refusal when the land came up for sale, we may well have missed out on a fantastic opportunity to increase the amount of heathland at Inkpen Common. The reserves staff and our group of committed local volunteers are all relishing the prospect of starting work on the extension this autumn."


Story by BBOWT