Introducing Idris and Carw, the newest members of WTSWW'S conservation team.

In 2015 our Wildlife Trust Reserves Manager, Paul Thornton coppiced an area of woodland at The Dranges Nature Reserve, Gower as part of our Glastir Woodland Management contract.

Hazel and willow was cut, ash and oak left as standards; the stool density was not great in this previously under-managed bit of semi-natural ancient woodland, and Paul hoped for seedling regeneration.

Then ash dieback really took hold, canopy trees died on their feet and seedlings and young trees gave up. With the rapid increase in light reaching the woodland floor bramble took hold and we have observed big reduction in ground flora and any hope of seedling establishment.

We needed to take action; rather than diving in with brushcutters and a robust team of volunteers Paul decided to explore woodland conservation grazing (or more correctly, browsing). The grassland parts of the reserve are managed by Dexter cattle, on site for about two thirds of the year. Even the small Dexters would be too heavy footed for this bit of woodland, the poaching would compact the soils and see off the bluebells and other woodland flora. So on a dark night in November we introduced goats as a trial.

Goats are not really anything new in the countryside, a small holders favourite, but only recently have we been considering using them at WTSWW in a conservation setting. We joined Swansea Community Farm on a fact finding mission to Street Goat Project in Bristol – this is a community project where urban greenspaces are conservation grazed by goats with the welfare checks being carried out by volunteers.

Swansea Community Farm are exploring the feasibility of a community goat club Geifr Gwyr. We will now be watching the effect they have on the habitat. We may trial them in other areas of the reserve, maybe even seeing if they eat gorse and bramble, which crops up in the species rich sward, while leaving the grasses to grow.

We are also trialling Nofence geo-fencing collars to track and contain the goats; the goats have been trained to the collars elsewhere but this is new for us using them on goats in this setting.

This trial is only possible because the reserve is not accessible to members or the public. It is not funded, nor does it make any commercial sense, it is only possible through the enthusiasm for conservation and generosity of the keeper and others involved.