Biodiversity

Conservation & biodiversity best practice examples

Hugh Lowe Farms Ltd

Biodiversity best practice : 1

Allow wide headland and grassy field margin and keep tracks from wandering by not driving on them in poor conditions; Strakes, West Peckham


Clear ditches one side only every 5 years; Goose Green


Create new habitats such as pond at Bull Farm


Diverse field margin & windbreak with track below - Seven Acre & Adams Well


Diverse flora in ditch at Goose Green


Do not drive on field margins, keep to tracks; Nine Acre, West Peckham


Drill game cover in April, preserve grassy field margin; Arnolds Bank (hedge removed by neighbour), West Peckham


Drill grass & pollen-nectar mix for beetle banks in April; Pedlam Brook, West Peckham (Weald Way on right)


Drill only native species of grass in raspberry alleys, Seven Acre, West Peckham


Ensure honey bees and other pollinators healthy and numerous; honey bee hives, Court Lodge, East Peckham


Establish floating islands for wildfowl on reservoirs; Peckham Place


Establish new windbreaks, Adams Well, West Peckham


Spring cropping, grassy field margin and track - Arnolds Bank (hedge removed by neighbour), West Peckham


Hedge management - encourage establishment of grassy margin; 5 year old hedge, Gravelly Bank, Mereworth


Hedge management at Kent Street Mereworth; cut hedges between Sept - Feb, leave hedgerow trees.


Hedgerow trees allowed to grow up - Forge Lane, West Peckham


Identify and leave undisturbed any badger setts; Strakes, Goose Green


Investigate cover crops; Reservoir Field, Mereworth, incorporating Caliente mustard


Keep leaves on overwintering strawberry plants and remove in spring, to provide winter habitat for invertebrates and farmland birds especially skylarks; Goose Green


Keep wide field margin and established headlands in arable crops following after strawberries; Highlands, Mereworth


Leave dead trees as habitat for invertebrates & fungi; Highlands, Mereworth


Leave lapwing habitat undisturbed as uncropped area at Stanfords, Goose Green


Liaise with landlord over maintenance of coppiced woodland; Aerodrome, Latters Farm, 2007


Look after small uncropped areas with a light touch - uncropped orchard, West Peckham


Maintain beetle banks in following arable crops; Pylon, West Peckham


Maintain diverse grassy field margins at woodland edges; Highwoods Bank, Bull Farm with pheasant


Maintain grassy alleys in established raspberries; Jubilee 1, Bull Farm


Top grass areas around reservoirs after July 15th, once per year; small reservoir West Peckham


Manage wet meadows by topping once per year and preventing scrub taking over; Peckham Place reservoir & Bee Field


Maintain diverse understory in copses; School Wood, Mereworth


Monitor and record wildlife signs - owl pellets beneath tunnel hoops, Strakes, Goose Green April 08


Monitor birds with RSPB; Peckham Place reservoir; geese, tufted duck, cormorant, mallard, coot; April 09


Promote rotations suitable for farmland birds; lapwing, Hazelwood, West Peckham


Monitor plant diversity - water mint at Peckham Place reservoir


Plant new hedges with mixed native species, keep weeds down with hedgeplant guards ; new reservoir, West Peckham


Preserve grassy margin next to windbreaks; Adams Well, West Peckham (uncropped bank & nut platt beyond)


Protect lime avenue by not driving on margins and mulching round trees to conserve moisture; Sheepshed, Mereworth


Protect newly planted trees with rabbit guards & plant mix of native species; Plum Wood, Mereworth


Provide wide spaces between tunnels where space allows to allow wildlife movement; Goose Green


Record wildlife sightings - Julie's picking group found grass snake skin, Mote Field, Peckham Place


Re-establish wide field margin with tussocky grasses - after removal of hop garden, Bull Farm


Restore degraded habitats such as pond at Stanfords, Goose Green


Site nest boxes appropriately; Kiln Field, Mereworth


Sow native grass species under table tops - White Gates


Use ICM principles for crop protection - pheromone trap to monitor pest populations; Jubilee 2, Bull Farm


Where there is space, make field margins wider and do not drive close to hedges; Goose Green


Widen bridle ways where appropriate; Piggery, West Peckham


Windbreak management - cut to 4-5m, leaving cones on lateral branches for birds especially yellowhammers; alder windbreak - Seven Acre, West Peckham


Mark and leave undisturbed any nests within crop - nest in covered strawberry crop at Stanfords, June 09. Fledged June 25th.


Mark and leave undisturbed any nests within crop - nest in coir bag in tunneled strawberry crop on table tops at White Gates June 2009.


Monitor wildlife sightings: fox snoozing amongst raspberry canes, successional tunnels

Biodiversity

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