You may have seen a small excavator on the open heath near Fanny's Lane.
It is working to pull up selected gorse and birch plants to ensure that the heath remains open, and to stop it becoming overgrown.
We have sucessfully trialled this technique last year on the main areas of heathland towards the Lower Common. It gets rid of the gorse and birch without the need for herbicides and is very selective, leaving excellent habitat for all the wildlife, including the rare Dartford Warbler.
This work is funded by the Farming in Protected Landscape scheme from the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
If you see the excavator working, please give it a wide berth to ensure your safety.
Thank you!
