Rewilding Butcherlands

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, 20 March 2024
Rewilding Butcherlands
Nightingale © Derek Middleton

By Alex Worsley

Senior Ecologist

Butcherlands is situated on the Wealden Clay and is largely contiguous with Ebernoe Common, also managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust. The site comprises just under 60ha of land which, until the year 2000, was farmed as an arable rotation. The site was purchased by Sussex Wildlife Trust in 2001 after the land had been left fallow following a final harvest in 2000. Since that time the site has reverted to a rich mosaic of grassland and scrub. The structure is diverse, ranging from flower-rich short grassland with abundant leguminous species (highly important for pollinating insects) through to more tussocky grass dominated areas. This then grades into low scrub and dense blocks of Bramble, which act as ‘nurseries’ for tree species such as Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur and Wild Service Tree Sorbus torminalis.

Wild Service Tree at Butcherlands © Alex Worsley
Wild Service Tree at Butcherlands © Alex Worsley

Where many high-profile rewildling sites use year-round naturalistic grazing, at Butcherlands we employ a ‘pulse grazing’ approach, whereby the sward is grazed for a period of time before being allowed to rest and recover. An article about this, written by former Senior Ecologist Graeme Lyons and site manager Mark Monk-Terry, is due to be published in British Wildlife.

The site has a rich invertebrate fauna, including several Nationally Scarce and Nationally Rare species, as well as the endangered Wood White Leptidea sinapis butterfly. The proximity to Ebernoe Common also makes the site important for nectaring saproxylic invertebrates (invertebrates that are dependant on dead or decaying wood) that may have limited foraging opportunities in some areas of the more established wood pasture.

The number of bird species has also become very rich and the site is surveyed every year. Nightingale territories reached their highest level of 20 in 2023, the second most abundant on site after Whitethroat with 30. Additionally, a pair of Dartford Warbler, a species more often associated with scrub on heathland, have been holding territory here since 2019.

Nightingale pairs at Butcherlands
Nightingale pairs at Butcherlands

Although the soil health here has not been studied extensively, many years of annual ploughing will have reduced soil organic matter and carbon levels (although this will have been mitigated somewhat by the clay soils which hold onto organic matter more efficiently than soils comprising a higher sand and silt content). Since ploughing has stopped, it is thought likely that the soil on site is likely to have increased organic matter (and therefore organic carbon) considerably. The scrub and tree development on site will also have sequestered substantial carbon.

Changes at Butcherlands 2001 vs 2018

Butcherlands habitat distribution 2001
Butcherlands habitat distribution 2001
Butcherlands habitat distribution 2018
Butcherlands habitat distribution 2018
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Comments

  • Elissa:

    Hi Alex,

    I really enjoyed reading about this, thanks

    Elissa

    02 May 2024 10:54:00

  • Helen Bennett:

    Fantastic to see! And wouldn’t it be brilliant if you ever got the chance to incorporate those chopped-out parcels of land into the reserve?

    02 May 2024 10:59:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Yes, bigger and better connected areas for nature is the way to go. Maximising the wildlife value and resilience of our nature reserves is one of the priorities in Sussex Wildlife Trust's new strategy

  • Lorna Rowney-Smith:

    Inspirational. The incoming government, very likely Labour, need to be publicly targeted with all the stats possible about the increase in wildlife in such places as Butcherlands, and the relevance of their proximity to incredibly important Ebernoe, to try to ensure that they know at least a little something about the importance of these types of environments when they make all their pronouncements about their housing policy and where intended housing should be put. Its folly to allow building around wildlife sites, like Knepp, thus isolating them from the wider environment and preventing wildlife finding suitablehabitat.

    02 May 2024 11:02:00

  • Duncan:

    I worked with Alf Simpson getting Ebernoe established in the late 80s and early 90s. I only had a small role, but the continued growth in the area is always heartening to read about, it remains a very special place in my life. Thank you!

    02 May 2024 11:21:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Alf and Iris Simpson and their group of volunteers did amazing work at Ebernoe Common. 

  • Mark Parry:

    Interesting article. Fantastic to learn how nature reclaims the land with a little bit of help.

    02 May 2024 12:10:00

  • Jim Boot:

    Great to hear about the nightingales. Is there an optimum level of scrub for this species? Will you be cutting back perhaps on a rotation so there is always a good level?

    02 May 2024 12:14:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    We were looking at cutting into some of the blocks of bramble to revert back to scrub 'Islands', rather than larger, more extensive areas of contiguous scrub. Then try and keep these open around the edges through grazing with goats/cattle. This should maintain the thick scrub growth Nightingales favour. If we don't intervene and allow succession to continue, the site will steadily go towards more of a canopied wood pasture rather than the scrub grassland mosaic it currently is. 

    Ideally, what were aiming for across the whole nature reserve is a mosaic of habitats from open grassland through low scrub, mature scrub and bramble 'tree nursery' areas, and then areas where some gnarly mature trees of the future can properly establish.

  • Ed edwards:

    Its a good improvement

    02 May 2024 13:38:00

  • Jenny Pellett:

    So encouraging to see. The connectivity between larger wild areas, verges and gardens is crucial. Encouraging home owners to leave longer grass and wild areas is a must.

    02 May 2024 14:49:00

  • Margaret Devitt:

    It is so encouraging to hear of the important improvements at Butcherlands. Congratulations to all involved. Now can you consider a similar development in West Sussex; what about approaching one of the three great estates near Chichester to work collaboratively on a rewilding project instead of their vast manicured lawns?

    03 May 2024 07:53:00

  • Gary Marshall:

    Very pleased to support SWT’s rewilding of Butcherlands. Excellent news about the nightingales, points to overall “natural health” of the area. Very pleased that unmanaged/limited intervention scrub growth will occur, since this is important for cover and nesting sites for many species. The flora should become increasingly rich and diverse – and all the micro flora and fauna, fungi and reptilian aquatic life. Keep up the very good work!

    03 May 2024 09:57:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Thank you for your support

  • Hazel Carter:

    What wonderful plans ahead for this piece of land. I am still not sure from your description where this is but wold love to visit. Although it is historically not a good idea to change a name it seems that Butcherland holds a poor connection with animals. May I suggest a variation such as Birchlands so that it holds onto some of the past lettering.

    03 May 2024 10:29:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Hi Hazel, Butcherlands is next to our Ebernoe Common reserve. Download a map of the reserve here. There is a small car park at Ebernoe Church, off Streel’s Lane from which you can use to access both Ebernoe Common and Butcherland nature reserves.

  • Katherine Arnold:

    Terrific . What good news .thank you

    03 May 2024 10:33:00

  • Chris Schilling:

    Good news May I walk in it?

    03 May 2024 12:05:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Yes, please visit the Butcherlands web page for details

  • Christine Dixon:

    Wonderful news about Butcherlands – my neighbours and I are listening out for the hoped for return of the nightingale heard in a tiny patch of scrubland in the Brede Valley last year

    03 May 2024 12:46:00

  • Frances Hughes:

    Hopefully visit very soon

    03 May 2024 18:07:00

  • martin:

    re. link to reserve map, comes up as ‘blocked invalid ‘, by chrome ?

    04 May 2024 10:35:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Hi Martin, please try this link for the Ebernoe Common Map

  • Linda Weekes:

    I was thrilled to hear about the increase of the nightingales, as I have never forgotten hearing my first one when I was lying in the bath one night. I leapt out to tell my husband, who thought I had lost the plot, until he realised it was after midnight and there was this amazing song on a warm night. They were around for a couple of more years and then no more which has always saddened me.

    04 May 2024 16:22:00

  • Kate Metcalf:

    Fantastic progress. The Trust do amazing work and this is just another example of what can be achieved if we allow nature to reclaim what is possible. Great news about the nightingales in particular. I especially enjoyed hearing them sing at Woods Mill last week on a guided reserve walk – magical.

    06 May 2024 15:32:00

  • Alan Walker:

    There seems to be a steady increase in plant and birdlife. It would be good to have some detail regarding flowering plants and invertebrates in a future update.

    11 May 2024 17:18:00

  • Tom Murray:

    Am I correct in thinking that SWT is looking to purchase Butcherlands? If so I for one would glady donate to such a scheme.

    20 May 2024 11:14:00

  • Sussex Wildlife Trust:

    Thank you so much, We were very much interested in purchasing it, but unfortunately it has already been sold.

  • Hilary:

    Thank you for a very interesting article. The National Trust has started managing some of their land on the edge of Winchelsea to enrich wildlife. Early days.

    08 Aug 2024 05:43:00

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