Nature conservation at The White Cliffs of Dover

Despite the sweltering heat this summer, our rangers and volunteers worked across the White Cliffs and beyond carrying out essential access works. After all, with more than 50km of footpaths to keep clear, managing vegetation can feel like an endless race through the growing season. 

Between April and September, the team also cleared around more than 100 kissing gates, installed four commemorative benches and carried out numerous fence repairs. These jobs might not always be noticed by visitors, but they are an important part of keeping our countryside sites accessible and well maintained. 

Good access management also helps us protect the wider landscape. Keeping vegetation cut back and paths clearly defined helps visitors stick to established routes, reducing pressure on surrounding habitats. 

Thank you to everyone who visited our countryside sites this summer and helped us look after them. And thank you to those who kept their dogs on short leads during the breeding season. Keeping dogs under control helps reduce disturbance to nesting birds and other wildlife. 

With the summer period behind us the rangers are continuing with their busy work programme moving into autumn and winter, prioritising nature conservation through practical habitat management.

Would you spot a ground nesting bird if it was right in front of you?

Ground nesting bird season is here, and with it comes an incredible reminder of how well nature can hide in plain sight. Species such as corn bunting, skylark and yellowhammer lay their eggs directly on the ground, where newly hatched chicks rely on one remarkable survival strategy: blending into their natural habitat - an evolutionary adaptation known as crypsis. With no nests in trees or bushes to shelter them, camouflage is their only defence until they fledge around two-three weeks later.

Each of these birds has its own charm. The corn bunting and skylark are often spotted perched on a fence post, each with a unique song. Skylarks are known for their characterful crest and the striking white stripes on either side of their tail feathers. A male yellowhammer is distinctive for its bright yellow head and underparts, and a song that is said to sound out: ‘a little bit of bread and no cheese’.

You can help protect these beautiful and endangered birds during this vulnerable season. Thank you for supporting nature’s recovery by staying on marked paths and keeping dogs on short leads to avoid disturbing hidden nests and chicks. 

A small action from us can make a huge difference for wildlife. 

During the last couple of months our countryside team have been working hard, coppicing in Kingsdown woods. This practice allows for natural vegetation succession to take place on the woodland floor in the absence of large animals like bison which historically, would have been instrumental in the maintenance of healthy and diverse woodland.

Most of us are familiar with the sight of bluebells carpeting the woodland floor, but by opening up the canopy and allowing more light in for a longer period of time, a more diverse range of ground flora such as campion, fox glove, violets and primroses, can flourish. It is this range of flowers that we hope will appear, that extend the nectar period for butterflies and other insects.

The next stage of succession is depicted by bramble starting to grow up and overshadow the ground flora, whilst young trees become established and race to get to the sunlight. Bramble is a fantastic food source from flower to fruit, and provides much needed habitat for a wide variety of species.

Once the young trees are established and growing leaves, they start to cast shadow once again as the woodland canopy closes, halting the growth of bramble and limiting the diversity of ground flora until the next coppice rotation. And so the cycle repeats...

Did you know?

The Dexter cattle that we use for conservation grazing at White Cliffs are highly adaptable to varying and extreme climatic conditions and different systems of management, making them ideal candidates. The breed originated in Ireland, first described in 1845; gaining their name from a Mr Dexter who selectively bred individuals from the best of the hardy mountain cattle of the area. Dexter cattle have become well-established worldwide as a hardy breed, capable of producing high quality beef and milk, with great maternal instincts and noted longevity.

Despite being the smallest of our native breeds, they are large mammals, which can be unpredictable. Used for conservation grazing, our herd have not been tamed in the same way as those on farms may become, with regular human contact. Keep an eye out for them during your next visit and please remember they are a working herd, and should not be disturbed, fed, or touched. When approaching cattle or taking photos, please use your judgement and always keep a safe distance.

A huge 'thank you' to the Tenterden District National Trust Association for their generous donation, allowing us to purchase some great new tools, a nest box and wildlife monitoring cameras!

As a result of decades of practical conservation management across the White Cliffs landscape, including habitat management, creation and restoration; our bird of prey populations are thriving. By providing nest boxes in addition to maintaining natural nesting sites, we can maximise opportunities for success within wilder landscapes.

We have been very excited to try our new electric brush cutters to see what they are capable of, and we weren't disappointed! In line with reducing carbon emissions, we are really pleased to continue moving towards electric machinery and away from petrol-power. It is through the generosity of gifts like this from supporter groups and individuals that mean we can stay at the cutting-edge of environmentally minded machinery.

Visit these links to learn more about Supporter Groups in Kent and Sussex or to make a donation, please click here.

Throughout the year we have been monitoring our freshwater ponds to see which species have been making use of these new habitat features. We have seen some encouraging signs of life, from the smallest invertebrates to larger birds and mammals. Due to the permeable nature of chalk, water sources in the downland can be rare. A fresh water source is essential for all wildlife and landscapes, attracting insects from far and wide.

Nature conservation at this pivotal time must encompass both landscape scale habitat creation and restoration, to provide safe areas for rare and common species to flourish, as well as targeted actions for species in rapid decline. This is why we are so pleased to see a range of species using the water, such as the dragonflies and barn swallows pictured.

The first signs of life came from vegetation colonising the thin soils scattered on top of the pond liner. Closely followed by algae in the water that have provided habitat for dragonflies and damselflies to lay their eggs. As hoped, with an abundance of invertebrates, we have also seen several bird species hunting in this enriched habitat, including swallows. We have recorded various species’ interactions with the water including ground-nesting birds bathing and performing social behaviours and even had the pleasure of seeing ravens and crows teaching their young valuable survival skills. Overall, a very promising start for our freshwater ecosystem.

Do enjoy a couple of peaceful minutes with us, watching the new wildlife.

What do we mean by invasive species? An invasive species is a non-native organism that has been introduced to a new environment, either by accident or on purpose and causes harm to the ecosystem. These species negatively impact native biodiversity.

In the last few weeks, our countryside team have been hand-pulling, cutting and removing an invasive plant species from the chalk grassland at Kingsdown Leas. Garden escapees like this one, from the Pea family, can spread through the movement of seeds or cut material. For example, when garden waste is left out for collection, if not completely contained, seeds, roots and rhizomes can escape into the environment and begin to grow. 

Despite providing an additional source of nectar for bees and butterflies, it is considered an invasive species in this habitat, which would not naturally be found in chalk grassland. Left unchecked, this plant multiplies very rapidly and would soon take over this precious habitat by outcompeting the finer grasses and herbs that the chalk grassland is characterised by. Our work helps to maintain the right plant structure and diversity, and overall habitat to provide food and homes for a wide range of species.

You may have seen our new signs up around our sites asking that you keep your dogs on leads from 1 March-31 August, to avoid disturbing wildlife. We wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you who are supporting us and nature's recovery by doing so. You can walk through the landscape and listen to the chorus of breeding birds, including the red-listed, ground-nesting corn bunting and skylark. 

With the recent addition of ponds and scrapes we hope to encourage more wildlife to stay and breed within our boundaries and beyond. We've already had exciting reports of a turtle dove flying over our land from the continent and with a bit of luck, the right habitat conditions and your support, we might just be lucky enough to encourage them to stay for the breeding season...

In February we cleared some semi-circle shaped areas of small trees and shrubs from the tramway - an area carved out by man but reclaimed by nature, with a record of dingy skipper butterfly sightings. Clearing scalloped areas into the scrub provides relief from strong winds and ideal conditions for basking.

This increasingly rare species of butterfly can be seen from May-August, basking in the sunshine on bare ground with wings spread wide. This small brown and grey butterfly may appear understated but in fact, is extremely well camouflaged for sitting on the ground during the day and on dead flower heads during the night.

The dingy skipper caterpillar's foodplants are common bird's-foot-trefoil and horseshoe vetch - both of which can be found here. By clearing areas where scrub plants are growing into the grassland, we maintain patches of bare ground for basking and reduce the competition and overcrowding that can prevent their foodplants from growing. Keep an eye out for this beautiful species when visiting during the summer months!

We are starting the year by jumping straight back into habitat management of the chalk grassland. It's the perfect time of year to cut back areas of rough vegetation such as bramble, to let the finer grasses and flowers flourish in the Spring. We are currently working in areas where we have had scrub removed in previous years, to prevent the re-growth from re-colonising the grassland habitat. 

It is important that we work with nature to restore this rare habitat by employing nature-based solutions (NBS) where possible. This is why we use conservation grazing to complement our work, in which the animals themselves help to maintain the habitat throughout the year. They do this by grazing and browsing, dispersing seeds, creating openings in the soil, and exposing dormant seeds stored within the soil bed so that they can germinate.

What are NBS and why do we need them? They involve helping nature to find its’ own solution for long-term management. Initially, we need to help the environment to get the ball rolling, but in the long term we can take a step back and let natural processes take over. When we can use NBS in place of human intervention, we help to restore the whole ecosystem by initiating/encouraging evolutionary trophic interactions between the plants and animals within the natural environment. 

In partnership with Kent Wildlife Trust, Dexter cattle have returned to graze the historic Golden Hill site, near Harbledown, after 60 years.

We are excited to welcome back grazing livestock to this small, lowland grassland area on the outskirts of Canterbury, last grazed in the 1960s. Despite this site being relatively small, every step towards nature's recovery is a positive step towards actively restoring and supporting local biodiversity, while mitigating the impacts of climate change. Much planning and work have gone into preparing this site for the reintroduction of conservation grazing, including new fencing, field gate, water infrastructure and trough. 

Dexters are the smallest native breed of cattle in the British Isles and are strong and hardy, making them ideal for conservation grazing by getting into thicker vegetation. It's the relationship between how the cattle graze and this natural environment that triggers a multitude of positive impacts within the habitat. They break up areas of thick bramble, ivy and grasses to create opportunities for other native flowers, shrubs and trees to flourish. 

Please join us in welcoming these beautiful five Dexters and celebrating this momentous event. The animals have come from a site with public access and are used to people, but please do not feed or touch them. Dogs on leads are welcome. For those who may choose to avoid Golden Hill whilst the cattle are present, we have waymarked and highlighted an alternative walking route on our information panel and on this map.

The aim of this project is to maximise the benefit of this landscape for nature. For this we will develop areas of species rich grassland, successional areas and scrub, various ponds and scrapes of bare chalk, resulting in a mosaic of habitats and micro-habitats, to support a variety of species and help natures recovery. To deliver this ambitious project, timing is key in getting the necessary works underway before the temperature drops. 

Towards the end of July, we mowed a clear strip to mark the boundary between the species rich grassland and the successional areas so that our contractors could start work on cultivation of wildflower seeding, water infrastructure and pond excavation simultaneously. 

Since then, we have sown nearly 18 ha of species rich grassland, installed nearly 1500m of pipe, 5 water troughs, created 2 scrapes of bare chalk, and 3 ponds lined with bentonite geosynthetic clay liner. This specialised liner is self-sealing, providing a natural green edge solution to the ponds, which protects and holds the lining in place as water levels fluctuate throughout the year. As the weather turns to familiar autumnal rain, we can sit back with excitement and wait for this new habitat to start filling up and attracting wildlife!

We have ambitious plans to restore nature and varied habitats to this landscape. The initial phase of this plan may appear quite dramatic but please bear with us as we get this essential work underway. We know that there are ground-nesting birds and various species present that will be disturbed by this work, but unfortunately this cannot be helped. To do better for nature in the long term, we cannot avoid ‘ruffling a few feathers’ in the short term. Please do not be alarmed as this work is being carried out by professionals, having sought specialist advice under our Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreed with Natural England.

This phase of work will be delivered in 3 stages:

1. Prepare the land by mowing the grass and flowers to allow access for our contractors to install water troughs and pipes for future grazing.
2. Excavate ponds and scrapes* to create pockets of water or bare chalk for various species.
3. Cultivate and seed the area with a wildflower mix suitable for the area and target species.

You can read more about this project in the Wanstone Landscape Restoration section below.

* - A scrape is an irregular, shallow depression in the soil, to provide areas of bare ground. Depending on the depth of soil, these could hold water in the winter or provide early successional areas where the chalk is near the surface.

Since 2021, we’ve been restoring lowland grassland in Harbledown, Canterbury. Contractors refreshed fencing, improved access, installed a water supply and trough for future grazing, removed fly-tipping and carried out grassland reversion of undermanaged areas. In 2023 we planted 600 new trees as hedgerows and installed temporary livestock fencing. Recent installation of a new interpretation panel represents Golden Hill, with historical research undertaken by the local community, displaying how to access and enjoy this small grassland area and noting connection to/from the local parish. We are very excited to share our plan to manage the grassland in a naturalistic way through cattle grazing, boosting the diversity of flora and fauna. Regular walkers will be familiar with the Countryside Code, please also take the time to read the new interpretation panel, respecting the property by taking litter home with you and keeping dogs on leads during the breeding season (1 March – 31 July).

We’ve been putting up livestock fencing to target our grazing within each compartment across the cliff top. Along with the new fencing, you will see signs on each entrance to our grazed compartments – please take the time to read these signs and follow advice given.

Managing land for nature requires a full ecosystem perspective and approach, considering land type and use, and flora & fauna species’ diversity. This means making sure the grassland is grazed sufficiently, and at the right time of year to provide enough ground disturbance to allow wildflowers to germinate and grow.

Overgrazing and grazing at the wrong time of year can negatively impact plant diversity and reduce the number of plants and flowers we see. Less plants and flowers may mean that our insect populations have less food available and habitat to breed. Unhealthy plant and insect populations reduce the overall fitness of bird and small mammal populations by limiting their food sources. Low food availability can result in some individuals and entire populations failing to breed successfully or survive the competitive breeding season at all.

Please help to support all our wildlife by always keeping dogs on short leads when walking through our Open Access Land between 1 March and 31 July.

We manage Kingsdown Wood by coppicing small areas known as coupes, on rotation, every two years. Coppicing is the practice of reducing single-stemmed and previously coppiced trees to the stump or stool on a regular cycle, triggering growth of various new shoots from dormant buds at the base of the stump. This form of woodland management, traditionally used for harvesting timber, provides a wide range of benefits to plant and wildlife diversity.

We are using the coppiced material to create dead hedges and habitat piles which can help various species of fungi, beetles, birds and small mammals. In addition, the clearings themselves create pockets of sunlight needed by woodland flowers, which then act as food plants and habitat for caterpillars, moths and butterflies throughout the year. You can read more about why we manage our woodland in this way here.