The Malvern Hills and Commons form an important part of our local environment and the Malvern Hills Trust is raising awareness of the importance of caring for these previous green spaces on World Environment Day.
This year’s theme is ‘Restoration’ and projects across the Malvern Hills have been highlighted by the Trust as examples of successful restoration in the local environment benefitting wildlife and communities.
Pond restoration
The non-native invasive plant New Zealand Pygmy weed (Crassula helmsii) had overwhelmed a number of ponds on Castlemorton Common, smothering native flora and fauna. A project to eradicate the invasive species and restore the pond has been a success with a recent report of a Great crested newt in a recently restored pond this summer.
Orchard restoration
On the edge of Malvern Common, a small, redundant plum orchard has been restored. The new planting of 10 plum saplings (all local varieties) by volunteers from Colwall Orchard Group was funded by the Forestry Commission’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund. A further two trees have been planted here thanks to a local donor. The Trust are looking forward to seeing this community orchard bloom in future years.
Woodland restoration
Woodlands surround many of the lower slopes of the Malverns and support a diverse range of woodland species including bats. In some areas, the delicate woodland ground flora has been out-shaded by the evergreen Cherry laurel plant which has escaped from local gardens. A steady process of eradication of the Cherry laurel is creating space for native woodland flora including bluebells and wood anemone to return.
Open habitat restoration
Much of the Malvern Hills and Commons are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for their open grassland and heathland habitats. Over time, the creep of woodland expansion means that the restoration of open habitats is an important part of the Trust’s work to halt the loss of scare habitats. A large area of open habitat restoration near Gardiner’s Quarry has been successful after tree pipits and reptiles returned to the hillside.
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