La Société Guernesiaise Conservation Herd’s latest assignment is grazing the headland at Icart.
The States-owned Icart field has been undergoing habitat restoration since 2017 as part of a project run by Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services (ACLMS) in an effort to encourage a wide range of plants, insects and birds to thrive.
“It is amazing to see the ongoing rejuvenation of the site in such a short space of time,” said a spokesman for the department. “Since the clearance of some scrub and bracken, native wildflowers in the existing seedbank have flourished.”
Pictured: Icart Headland is of international importance and is among the scarcest habitats found in Guernsey.
Manager of La Société Guernesiaise Conservation Herd, Dave Bartram, commented: “Grazing will return the area to a wildflower rich grassland by keeping scrub from establishing and creating a diverse glassland sward, whilst their dung is a great food source for many invertebrates.”
The cattle will be grazing for several weeks and is being checked daily by the team that cares for them.