Surrey Wildlife Trust fundraising for grazing and conservation effort

Surrey landowners and members of the farming community use cattle and sheep to maintain the countryside

A charity has appealed for donations and volunteers as it attempts to expand its conservation grazing efforts.

Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) said its herd of 70 sheep and 250 cattle maintain sites across the county by eating grass and scrub that would otherwise smother delicate vegetation.

James Herd, director of reserves management at SWT, called the animals "grazing superheroes".

The charity wants to raise £50,000 to maintain and expand its herd.

Conservation grazing is the use of livestock to maintain an area's biodiversity. The nimble footed grazing animals are able to easily move through steep areas of countryside inaccessible to vehicles.

This, the SWT said, makes the flock "much more effective" than people or machinery at maintaining the right balance of vegetation that supports wildlife in the area, including birds, butterflies and bees.

The trust said the grazing animals keep habitats in "tip-top" condition

Mr Herd said as a result of conservation grazing: "People in Surrey can enjoy some of the most beautiful but threatened landscapes in the UK."

However, the trust said the increasing price of feed, veterinary care and equipment meant more funding was needed to support its operation.

SWT have started a £50,000 fundraising campaign to cover these costs and breed more sheep.

It also wants to recruit and train more volunteers to ensure the day-to-day welfare of the grazing herds.

Additionally, the trust wants to expand the use of "no fence" grazing, which uses GPS collars to track cattle instead of physical fences.

The trust said that this would maximise the impact of conservation grazing on the Surrey landscape, as it enables herds to "safely and easily" move into new territory.