Killerton Estate completes green recovery project

Bird life has been reported as thriving in the new wetlands

Nearly 70,000 trees have been planted as part of a green recovery project on a National Trust estate.

The Killerton Estate, near Broadclyst in Devon, has completed the 18-month scheme that included new woodland.

The work aimed to improve and expand nature habitats to boost the landscape's ability to store carbon.

Phillip Smart, from the estate, said the project "will make Killerton a greener, healthier, and more beautiful place for hundreds of years to come".

The scheme has won the Countryside Management Association's 2022 Gordon Miller Award.

Thousands of trees have been planted as part of the project

Mr Smart, general manager at Killerton, said: "In under 18 months our rangers, volunteers, and partners have given the 2,600-hectare (6,400-acre) lowland estate at Killerton a real nature boost.

"We are thrilled that their hard work and dedication has been recognised by the Gordon Miller Award as an outstanding contribution to countryside greenspace management."

The scheme included creating 18 hectares (44 acres) of new woodland, 40 hectares (99 acres) of new wood pasture, five hectares (12 acres) of new agroforestry, and restoring 2km (1.2 miles) of floodplain.

It also identified the most vulnerable of Killerton's 1,500 veteran trees and completed work to protect 70 of them, and restored 3 hectares (7 acres) of wildflower meadows.

Some species such as heron, little egret and kestrels have been reported thriving in the newly created wetland area.

More than 3km (1.9 mile) of paths have been created to improve accessibility for people who want to visit.

The work has been funded with £750,000 from the Department for the Environment and Rural Affair's Green Recovery Challenge Fund, working in partnership with Woodland Trust, Westcountry Rivers Trust, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West and a number of farm tenants.