Winter Rangers work

Throughout the winter the Ranger team have had a variety of projects to work on.

The winter season started out with some seasonal events which were very popular over the Christmas period. Some included Winter Fossil walks, Smuggling and Shipwreck talks and Wooden reindeer making workshops.

We then commenced with a large project to rebuild the steps on the far side of Lulworth Cove in order to improve access to Pepler’s point and the South West Coast Path to the East. We also installed some shuttering to widen the path at the top of the Durdle Door steps.

This was followed by coppicing at Kickhill, Oakley and Belhuish Woods where the aim is to promote biodiversity of the woodland area. By opening up the area to sunlight it allows a wider range of plants to flourish and therefore encourages rare species such as endangered dormouse and silver washed fritillary.

Hedgerow planting started in late January in various areas around the Estate with over 1000 meters of whips planted overall.

We’ve also been managing the many landslides that have occurred on the Estate, due to the challenging weather conditions we’ve had this year. This has caused issues such as blocking access to certain areas, damage to current paths and steps, having to postpone events which were due to run.

With the recent arrival of a seal on Durdle Door beach, it has meant that we’ve also been on warden duties to ensure the safety of the seal and the public. It’s also given us a chance to educate and inform the public on seal behaviour and how to respect wild animals.

With winter over, and nesting birds coming back to our grasslands and woodlands, we have ‘downed tools’ and are preparing for spring and summer duties. Managing invasive plants such as Ragwort and Cotoneaster will start soon, as well as employing a number of seasonal beach warden staff to ensure our visitors have a safe and enjoyable time, and that the environment is well cared for.