The team up on the reserve at South Stack can’t quite believe that it’s the end of August already. As I look out of the window of the office at Plas Nico sea foam is swirling past and it certainly feels autumnal. Lots to look forward to though. Building work on the new visitor centre is progressing. Over the last 2 weeks we have seen the rubble from the old building crushed and taken away to be reused along with all other recyclable waste removed from site. The foundations are in progress and over the next couple of weeks the steel frame of the new building will be delivered to site and we will soon see the building come to shape.
Our warden Denise is heading out with volunteer Bill, who at the age of 84 and three quarters works on the reserve every Friday. Today they are going out on Gors Goch to check on one of our cattle who has cuts on her sides – we think she tried to jump a fence! They are also going to check that all the boundaries on the farmland are secure and move a ring feeder to the area where our sheep spend their weekends when not grazing on the mountain.
Pete the shepherd is out on Holyhead mountain during the week with 112 of our sheep. They graze the heathland to keep the heather, gorse and grass short in patches that are carefully selected by our warden. This allows plants that may otherwise be smothered by the larger plants to grow through in the springtime. Chough also forage on the shorter areas of heathland. You can spend a morning with Pete learning all about his job and the important role the sheep play as part of our heathland management plan.