WIREDGOV

A herd of shaggy four-legged conservation heroes is helping an upland farm in the Lake District to become a haven for some of the country’s most endangered butterflies. 

A herd of Luing cattle has been recruited to graze the land at High House Farm to help safeguard a future for Cumbria’s endangered high brown fritillary butterflies by creating ideal habitat for the rare insects. The butterfly is giving cause for conservation concern as its population has crashed by more than 90% since the 1970s.

The high brown fritillary butterfly depends for its lifecycle on woodlands and on grassland habitat where there is sufficient light to promote growth of violets, which are the favoured food plant of the butterfly’s larva. As part of a Natural England Higher Level Stewardship agreement, the Luing herd is grazing a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) at High House Farm, Winster in Cumbria where their trampling and grazing helps to keep bracken in check, which in turn allows violet plants to grow and the high brown fritillary butterflies to thrive.

To help showcase the environmental and commercial benefits of keeping the breed, the Luing Cattle Societyis breaking with nearly four decades of tradition by hosting its annual open day in England for the first ever time this year. The event takes place on the afternoon of Friday 1st August, at High House Farm, which overlooks Lake Windermere. The event is being supported by Natural England’s Cumbria team, who hope that more farmers will come to appreciate the particular environmental qualities that grazing Luings can bring.

Farm Manager, Alec Smith, has found that the Luings’ hardy, Highland heritage makes them perfectly suited to the Lakeland fells and as well as providing the farm with an income from rearing the cattle he is delighted that the herd is helping improve the wildlife habitats.

Alec said: “We have worked hard over the last ten years to establish and grow a pedigree herd of Luing cattle at High House Farm. The Luings have demonstrated many, valuable benefits to our farm and to our landscape. We needed a breed that could manage adequately our rough, Lakeland land with minimal handling, yet still deliver productivity and a high commercial yield. We are delighted to host this year’s Open Day at High House Farm and to be working with Natural England and Butterfly Conservation to share our experiences of working with the Luings.”

Simon Humphries, Natural England’s Area Manager for Cumbria, added: “We are delighted that the Luing Cattle Society’s Open Day will be held in the Lakes for the first time this summer. Luing cattle are proving to be an excellent native breed to use where conservation grazing is needed and very well-suited to the uplands of Cumbria. One of the reasons why Natural England is so pleased to support the Open Day is that this is a great example of how enhancing the environment also makes good commercial sense and shows that these two factors can go hand in hand.”

The Open Day will provide an opportunity for local and national farmers, existing and potential Luing breeders, environmentalists and food, farming, and forestry industry representatives to find out more about the breed. The event is also intended to be an enjoyable, educational experience for members of the general public with the chance to see the Luing herd grazing the farm, join guided walk to discover the area’s special wildlife, and enjoy plenty of other activities throughout the afternoon.

The event will be held on the afternoon of Friday 1 August and is free to attend. Anyone who would like to go along is invited to register an interest in attending the event as soon as possible

For further information (media enquiries only) please contact:

David Hirst, Natural England press officer: 0300 0601720 or 0782 7821679 
david.hirst@naturalengland.org.uk
Twitter: @NaturalEngland

Additional notes:

1. Luing Cattle were first bred on the Hebridean island of Luing in the 1940s. The cattle brought together the qualities of a Beef Shorthorn and the hardiness of a Scottish Highlander and the Luings were soon prized by farmers in Scotland for their hardiness, easy handling and commercial viability.

2. Working with experts from Butterfly Conservation, Natural England has found Luing cattle to be among the best of the traditional cattle breeds at achieving benefits for the natural environment when used for conservation grazing as part of Agri-Environment schemes in Cumbria.

3. Once common and widespread in woodlands and rough grassland in southern, central and north-west England and Wales, the high brown fritillary butterfly is now confined to a few sites in north-west England, Dartmoor, Exmoor and Wales.

About Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship schemes are administered by Natural England, on behalf of Defra, and fund farmers and land managers throughout England to deliver effective environmental management on their land.  The objectives of Environmental Stewardship are to:

• Promote public access and understanding of the countryside

• Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character

• Protect the historic environment and natural resources

• Conserve biodiversity