The Undercliffs National Nature Reserve is looking for volunteers to assist on conservation activities over the winter. The reserve is one of the Jurassic Coast’s great hidden gems, encompassing fascinating geological, ecological and social history. Its current form was created following an enormous landslip on Christmas Eve 1839, and since then it has largely been undisturbed, blossoming into a true wilderness area, free of human influence.
Undercliffs Reserve
Natural England, who manage the reserve, rely on a group of dedicated volunteers to ensure its stunning natural beauty is maintained. So far, three conservation days are planned for early 2017:
Wednesday 4 January – Maintenance of the “Sheepwash” area
Saturday 28 January – Scrub clearance at Goat Island
Saturday 4 March – Scrub clearance at Humble Glades
If you’re interested in joining the Undercliffs’ volunteer team for one of these days, please contact Guy Kerr for more information and to register your interest.
These conservation days provide a great opportunity to get out and about in the countryside over the cooler months, and to get up close and personal with one of southern England’s most astonishing natural wonders. In winter, the reserve’s dramatic inland cliffs and geological features are more visible, as the trees have lost their foliage. Through carefully managing scrub and invasive species at this time of year, the Undercliffs’ brilliant diversity of plant and animal life is able to flourish once spring arrives.
A series of guided walks through the reserve, led by local experts, are also planned for next year. These will be in a similar vein to the guided walk through the “Chasm” that Donald Campbell led as part of the Jurassic Coast Trust’s Summer Walks Series earlier this year. You can get more of a flavour of what to expect by heading over to Jurassic Coast Community Coordinator, Guy Kerr’s blog post about his Undercliffs adventure earlier this year. Keep your eyes glued to our events page for more details as they emerge.
