Folly Farm Nature Recovery Project

Our aim through this project is to improve conservation management at our Folly Farm nature reserve by providing animal handling facilities, including for cattle and ponies, that can be moved around the site; a water supply, and boundaries in the form of fencing and hedges. These works will improve our ability to ensure that low intensity grazing by cattle and our Exmoor Ponies is tailored to the needs of specific areas of the site and at certain times of the year. This will benefit our species rich grassland and wildflower meadows, but also our orchard and the species that rely on these habitats. Increased and better managed hedgerows will provide shelter and food for pollinators and a range of other species as well as improved connectivity across the site. We will install two new interpretation boards to explain this approach to visitors.

The primary focus of this project is to improve habitat in our project area for the benefit of pollinating insects, to reverse declines in biodiversity and help nature’s recovery in the face of a changing climate. The project will also bring the following social benefits for the local community:
• Increased confidence and skills, through training and participation in practical tasks
• Increased health and wellbeing through taking part in activities outside in nature, with like-minded people
• Increased access to information about the importance of a landscape rich in biodiversity