More than fifty Herdwick sheep have arrived at Mill Hill Nature Reserve near Shoreham to help protect local wildlife over the winter.
The 28-acre site, owned by Adur and Worthing Council and managed with the South Downs National Park Authority, relies on grazing to keep its rare chalk grassland healthy.
Conservationists tell us that without the sheep, the land would quickly overgrow with scrub, threatening wildflowers, butterflies and other species.
Phillippa Morrison-Price, Lead Ranger for the Eastern Downs, said: “Mill Hill is an incredibly important site for wildlife in particular butterflies that are associated with chalk grassland as well as reptiles, such as adders. Numbers of specialist chalk species, such as Chalkhill Blue and Adonis Blue butterflies, have reduced significantly over the past five years and this is largely be due to the lack of grazing, which is imperative for keeping chalk grassland in good condition.”
Responsible dog walking is encouraged at the site as part of the National Park’s Take the Lead campaign. This includes keeping dogs on leads around livestock to avoid sheep worrying and making sure gates are shut properly. Find out more about Take the Lead here.
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