Pastures New 2006 - 2009
‘Pastures New' was an ambitious initiative which brought together farmers and wildlife experts to restore wildlife-rich grasslands across the county. Led by the Dorset AONB and Dorset Biodiversity Partnership, the project provided land managers with advice, assistance and incentives to make grassland management more economically viable.
Pastures New was first developed as part of Dorset's Local Area Agreement, signed up to by Government. The inclusion of environmental targets reflects the importance that Dorset residents place on caring for the county's landscape and wildlife.
The first phase of this project is complete and we are proud to say that we met the ambitious targets set. We did this by providing:
- Advice on grassland management and grant availability through Environmental Stewardship Volunteers and contractors to clear scrub, erect fences, and install water supplies to facilitate conservation management
- A service to match graziers with grassland sites in need of grazing Expertise, advice and assistance in enhancing grassland sites for biodiversity
- ‘Added value' by linking producers with the ‘Direct from Dorset' accreditation scheme, and establishing a conservation grade meat scheme
- Download the full report for
Pastures New 2006-2009 1.97 Mb
The Pastures New Project has been successful in getting some of our best grassland for wildlife back into good management - helping to conserve the fantastic butterflies, insects and wildflowers they support.
