At Shabden Park Farm, our ethos
is that traditional farming methods are not just beneficial to the
countryside and wildlife habitats, but that some species depend
on it for survival.
Read more about butterflies which depend
on sensitively grazed grassland.
176 acres (71 hectares), or approximately two thirds
of the farm is land managed under the Countryside
Stewardship Scheme. This includes all of the Shabden valley.
Countryside Stewardship is a scheme which enables farmers and land
managers to protect and restore vulnerable areas of the countryside,
including threatened wildlife habitats such as chalk downland.
The farm is located within a protected site of
Surrey Wildlife Trust who manage
it on a lease from Surrey County Council. We work closely with SWT
Countryside Services who help to maintain the public access points
and offer help and advice on managing the land for wildlife.
As the restoration of the chalk grassland has progressed,
new species of flora and
fauna are identified each year. We monitor chalk downland butterflies
on the farm and we are managing some areas specifically to improve
the breeding areas of these species of butterfly. |