Restoration Plans for Upton Heath
Restoring a section of neglected heathland habitat at Upton Heath could take two to three years, according to Dorset Wildlife Trust following their recent land acquisition.
Dorset Wildlife Trust has successfully completed the purchase of 110 acres at Upton Heath, near Poole, after a community fundraising campaign.
CEO Brian Bleese explained that the initial focus has been on clearing large amounts of accumulated litter and conducting surveys to evaluate the habitat's health.
Other key priorities include scrub clearance and re-establishing fire breaks to prevent the spread of wildfires.
Upton Heath is an internationally significant heathland area, supporting all six of Britain's native reptile species, including the rare sand lizard and smooth snake.
Land Ownership and Management History
The 110-acre plot had previously been leased to Dorset Wildlife Trust and managed as part of the broader nature reserve. However, the lease was terminated "a few years ago," and the land was put up for sale earlier this year with mineral extraction rights included.
A community campaign raised over £100,000 towards the asking price, estimated between £300,000 and £500,000, enabling the charity to halt the planned auction and regain management of the land.
Habitat Management Challenges
"It's a manmade habitat, created by human intervention over thousands of years.
If it's left, it tends to scrub over, the heather becomes long and not good for wildlife, sandy patches will scrub over.
It's also important to manage fire breaks to prevent the spread of wildfires and getting on top of scrub encroachment like pine trees.
All of that improves the quality of the habitat."
Volunteers have played a vital role in managing the wider heath by cutting gorse and heather during winter and removing pine trees.
"There's also a big litter problem," said Bleese.
"One of the first things we are doing is getting volunteers to pick up litter. We want to make sure it can be effectively grazed."
Ongoing Restoration Efforts
The restoration process will be gradual, with the land remaining accessible throughout.
"We will be looking at two or three years of consistent management to get it back into good shape," said Bleese.
"We will be doing some baseline surveys on it now but, almost certainly, [the lack of active management] would have affected some of the habitats."
Community Involvement and Future Support
In addition to restoring the land, Dorset Wildlife Trust aims to engage the community in ongoing conservation efforts.
"The community responded hugely [to the fundraiser] and we want to make sure it continues to benefit them."
MP Vikki Slade, who supported the campaign to save the heath, emphasized the need for further funding.
She stated that although the land purchase was secured, full funding for restoration and addressing risks such as fire and anti-social behavior has not yet been achieved.
To address this, Slade has written to Defra seeking assistance from the newly announced Species Recovery Programme.
