Complementing our ‘farming with trees’ principles we continue to develop the wooded areas on the farm.

As we know, a healthy woodland is beneficial for our environment in multiple ways. Not only are they an important home for biodiversity, they also clean our air (on average, one hectare of UK woodland stores around 5.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide). They can also mitigate flooding since trees can use or intercept water in many ways depending on species and size.

Not to forget they play an important role in society, often mystical, providing a calming and inspirational environment.

Our farming practices deliver a broad range of environmental benefits. We aim to protect and enhance the natural environment, in particular the diversity of wildlife and water quality. We continue to develop practices to become carbon neutral and help climate change mitigation.

As we continue to restore habitats by providing food and nesting places for birds and create areas for flowering plants, both nature and wildlife benefits. We are trying to provide the right environments for wild pollinators and our very own bee colonies. This is also helpful for creating natural predators for insects we don’t want eating our crops, helping us to farm to organic principles.

A hedgerow is the unsung hero of farmland, providing a vital part of cultural heritage and a foundation for historical records. They also serve as wildlife corridors and habitats within their own right and are increasingly valued for their ecological benefits.

Hedgerows are one of the most diverse habitats in Britain, containing 125 of our most threatened species. The word hedge is derived from the Anglo Saxon word haeg, which means enclosure. Bats interestingly use hedges as a natural sat nav. You’ll notice that in fields, the corners of hedges are usually a steady curve, rather than a sharp right angle; this was to allow space for a team of oxen and a plough to turn.

We will have planted 1.8 km of new hedgerow since 2021. We have also laid an additional 100m of hedgerow meticulously following the traditions using the Midlands style.

‘wildlife corridors’ play an important part of the farms conservation plans.

As a link from one environment to another, wildlife corridors connect individual - and sometimes isolated - habitats, allowing wildlife to be free to move between them, unharmed by predators or humans.

We have created 2km of corridors on the farm, linking Flintham to beyond Shackerdale.

To complement our farming and conservations plans we conduct a range of monitoring and research on the farm. Our nature club run monthly bird spotting days and a programme of biodiversity monitoring bats and butterflies to vegetation and soils. We are also proud to link professional and academic organisations to conduct research projects.

If you would like to join our nature club or conduct a research project find out more below and get in touch!

Wetlands are an important habitat for thousands of aquatic and terrestrial species of plants and animals and are an important store of Carbon with one acre storing between 81 to 216 metric tons of carbon.

Wetlands provide flood mitigation, improved water quality, erosion control, recreation, and aesthetic value.

In conjunction with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust we are currently developing our own 1 acre wetland.