Will reducing the grazing pressure on the Cluster make a difference? Like everything we do and don’t do on our site, we simply won’t know until we try.
This summer marks our third officially stock-free year and it’s definitely been the most flora-filled yet.
Alder is naturally regenerating along the banks of the Arkle Beck, popping up on the sides of seasonal gills and thriving in damp nooks and crannies across the site.
As for common spotted orchids, we’ve never been privy to such a flush.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled as you wander leisurely along the shaded riverside footpath…
For updated records and locations of all of our sightings, have a peek at our iNaturalist project page, and feel free to add your own observations!
Happy wandering, Liz 🙂
The Heggs-Castle Renaturing Project 