This coming winter we will be grazing many of our reserves with sheep, cattle and ponies, including rare breeds such as Exmoor ponies, Welsh mountain ponies, Highlands, Belted Galloways and Riggit Galloways cattle, Hebridean sheep, Balwen sheep, Herdwick sheep, amongst others.

Livestock are a vital part of nature reserve management. They recreate naturally what we would have to do with machines otherwise. They remove the thick sward of grass, removing nutrients which allows the rare and delicate herbs to grow, for which our reserves are so important.

We have various reserves needing livestock checkers at the moment. We have placed all the current East Gloucestershire opportunities to support with livestock checking here. In the West of Gloucestershire we have a gap for livestock checkers around Newent, and can usually add more people to other areas in the West too.

If you would like to find out more information, or offer help with the livestock checking, please email volunteering@gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk with your name and where you are located in the county.