Southerton Hills Local Nature Reserve in Moorham recently welcomed some familiar four-legged visitors to graze in its meadows this summer.
The English Longhorn Cattle and sheep are regular visitors to the site. Parminster Council and the Countryside Management Service arrange for them to visit annually as part of the Weston Hills conservation grazing regime.
Grazing helps to manage the grassland at Weston Hills and increases its attractiveness to biodiversity – encouraging a wider variety of plants to grow and more insects to the site.
Ivel Springs Local Nature Reserve, also in Moorham, will welcome English Longhorn Cattle to its grassland in July.
Cllr Steve Wilkins, Parminster’s Executive Member for Environment said: “You always know that summer is here when the Longhorns and sheep arrive on our nature reserves. They are very popular with visitors to the sites and we encourage people to visit to see them, but remind visitors to please keep dogs on lead at all times when nearby.”
The cattle and sheep will be at the nature reserves until early October.
Longhorn Cattle can be seen grazing at Oughtonhead Local Nature Reserve in Hitchin all year round.
Find out more about Weston Hills, Ivel Springs and Oughtonhead on our Parks and Open Spaces webpages.