The Great Heath – an urban living landscape for Dorset by Nicky Hoar, The Great Heath Learning and Interpretation Officer, Dorset Wildlife Trust
The Great Heath partnership was formed by Dorset Wildlife Trust in response to the amazing opportunity to buy 1500 acres of heathland, woodland, meadow, wetland, harbour and marsh stretching from Lytchett in the west to Parley in the east. With £2.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £2 million so far from partners and fundraising, the land (and sea!) has now been bought and forms part of Dorset’s very first urban living landscape for people and wildlife.
This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure important habitats on land and sea, not only for wildlife, but for the many people that enjoy and use them too. As well as precious heathland, the purchase included parts of Poole Harbour itself, an important area for wildlife as well as a commercial port and popular place for leisure boat users, kayaking, angling and commercial fishing. The two Poole Harbour sites, the eastern half of Lytchett Bay and a large proportion of Holes Bay, are both vital havens for winter birds with many opportunities for encouraging people to love their next door nature!
(Photo 1: Getting close to wildlife at Holes Bay I Julian)
The Great Heath purchase at Holes Bay has enabled the creation of the Holes Bay Nature Park, stretching from the heart of Poole to Upton Country Park and on to Hamworthy. Here you have the chance to get as close as it gets, to rare and beautiful nature and to discover other beautiful sites via linking trails. It is also a place where thousands of people have contact with the harbour, whether running, cycling, walking or driving by, angling or even just shopping at Asda!
Poole Harbour is the largest natural harbour in Britain, an internationally important protected area for wildlife, with up to 20,000 wildfowl and wading birds in winter. There is also a dazzling variety of hidden wildlife here, from at least 12 species of fish swimming the shallow waters, to over 80 species of worms, crustaceans, molluscs and insect larvae in the incredibly rich mud. The area north of the railway line in Holes Bay and the western corner of Lytchett Bay are bird sensitive areas, due to their use by internationally significant numbers of birds, and new interpretation boards help to spread the messages to all users about these precious places as well as encouraging people to enjoy their spectacular wildlife and trails.
(Photo 2: King Ragworm, wader food of Holes Bay A Semonov)
The Great Heath has also enabled the creation of the Lytchett Bay Nature Park, involving all the landowners around this peaceful arm of Poole Harbour, including the RSPB. Access improvements and a programme of events help people to enjoy the environment while protecting its wildlife. This is one of the few places where you can still see the natural change from heathland to marshland habitats, once found all round Poole Harbour. On land there are rare reptiles and breeding birds and the bay is another key site for wading birds and wildfowl, which feed on the rich invertebrate life of the sheltered mudflats.
Heathland sites bought through the project include Parley Common, Ferndown Common, Dunyeats Hill, Lytchett Heath and part of Upton Heath, all part of The Great Heath, formed by nature and man living in harmony for thousands of years. We believe that link between people and nature is vital for us as well as for wildlife.
(Photo 3: Holly from Broadstone Brownies Upton Heath by N Hoar, Dorset Wildlife Trust)
The Great Heath team started work on 1st May 2014 and already we have held hundreds of events, enjoyed by thousands of people; thousands of volunteers have contributed to conservation; children have got close to nature at our events and local schools and businesses have raised thousands of pounds for nature in their area.
The Great Heath Living Landscape is a partnership project led by Dorset Wildlife Trust and involves Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, Poole Harbour Commissioners, Borough of Poole, Dorset County Council, The Erica Trust, Bournemouth Borough Council and Christchurch and East Dorset Councils. We are also working with the RSPB and The National Trust as well as many local businesses, community groups and individuals.
(Photo 4: Parley Common access improvements from Dorset Wildlife Trust)
You can get involved in lots of ways, including recording wildlife, welcoming wildlife in your garden, practical volunteering, coming to an event or just spreading the word.
Find out more about the project at: www.thegreatheath.org
For more info about Dorset Wildlife Trust, visit:www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.ukTwitter- @DorsetWildlifeFacebook - facebook.com/dorsetwildlife