At the moment Kinver Edge looks very dry and we have had a number of small fires in the meadow, woodlands, and heathland. It is not clear if these have been started intentionally or accidentally but they have not spread far, having been found and reported early. The fire service have been excellent, responding quickly, and returning the following day to douse any warmer spots. The very hot dry weather significantly increases the risk of fire so please do not use BBQs or set camp fires. The cattle are now back grazing the heathland as part of our land management scheme and this will be the second season of using electronic collars as part of our pioneering fenceless grazing scheme, funded by the Kinver Edge Committee.
The lack of rain has meant that we have had to water a hedgerow that was planted last year to keep it from dying. Some of the saplings have been lost, but so far it has done remarkably well and we shouldn’t have to replace too many saplings in the winter.
We’ve really noticed the benefit of the work in pulling balsam over the last three years. The amount of balsam has drastically reduced, so we’ve been able to move into new areas and tackle it there. We’ve been helped by regular volunteers and corporate volunteering groups and have covered a large area on Blakeshall Common.
The usual repairs to gates, fences, and steps are ongoing, as are our regular wildlife monitoring surveys. Butterflies are having a good year, reptiles are also enjoying the fine weather, and we’ve had good numbers of black oil beetles for the third year running.
A defibrillator has been installed by the gate adjacent to the tea rooms at the Rock Houses. This was funded by a very generous donation from a member of the Kinver Edge Committee, with additional funding from Staffordshire County Council and DHSC. Councillor Victoria Wilson attended the Spring opening