Four new Fell ponies have joined the RSPB team at Haweswater, as part of the charity’s conservation grazing and regenerative farming operation.
Gus, Tommy, Dan and Stanley have been bought from nearby, well-known Cumbrian fell pony breeders – Drybarrows Fell Ponies and Askham Gate Fell Ponies. They have been chosen as they are a native breed to the Cumbrian fells and are very hardy to the upland weather and terrain.
Faith Garvey, RSPB livestock assistant who looks after the ponies, said: “We’re so excited to have these ponies join our team. Along with our mixed herd of 35 Belted Galloway and Highland cattle, and our 300 Cheviot sheep, the ponies are part of our conservation grazing and regenerative farming operation at Haweswater.
“They will be used to help graze the more dominant, course vegetation such as rushes, and allow through delicate, less competitive plants like devil’s bit scabious, which is the food plant for the rare marsh fritillary butterfly, an insect we hope will colonise the meadows here in the coming years.”
The ponies and cattle help restore the landscape around Haweswater. When grazed in low numbers, these heavy-footed animals are emulating the wild cattle and horses that would have once roamed this country, the RSPB said.
They trample bracken allowing trees to grow through and they help to disperse seeds. The animals also create areas of bare ground which allows wildflowers to grow through and insects feed on their dung, which in turn provide food for birds and mammals.
At Haweswater, the RSPB and United Utilities, which owns the site, are working together, as much of the work to restore the uplands for wildlife and people, also benefits drinking water quality, they said.
Together, they have planted thousands of trees, alongside other important habitat work, such as putting the bends back into Swindale Beck and blanket bog restoration. Conservation grazing is an important element of this work, they added and all measures lead to increased carbon storage, reduce the risk of downstream flooding by slowing the flow of water off the fells, naturally purify the water for drinking, benefit a wide range of special wildlife and enhance the natural landscape for visitors.
