Roxburghe Estates carry out a wide range of conservation and biodiversity enhancement projects across the great variety of landscapes and habitats on the Estate
Between 2019 and 2022 alone activities have included:
Annual planting of four hectare of species rich crops that will be unharvested to provide habitat for bees and butterflies as well as food for wild farmland birds throughout the year and help feed overwintering flocks of once common birds such as: Goldfinches, Linnets, Tree sparrows and Chaffinches.
Annually leaving over 15 hectare of unharvested margins around arable fields giving nesting habitat for birds, insects and bees.
Established 9km of new hedgerows and replanted over 3km of hedge where gaps had appeared in existing hedgerows. Hedgerows provide valuable nesting cover for our farmland birds throughout the year.
Restored one old pond, established 3 new ponds and 4 wader scrapes providing habitat for wildfowl and wader species.
Annually sowing more than 30 hectare of mixed green manure crops which are left until the next spring, these crops improve soil structure and benefit a range of insect species.
Fenced an additional 1km of riverbank and taken multiple kilometers of river bank out of livestock grazing rotation, with the aim to improve water quality, enhance wild flower establishment and reduce riverbank erosion.
Continued our red squirrel conservation project through active management of the woodlands for their benefit and reducing the number of grey squirrels.
Continued our major moorland conservation programme on Byrecleugh and Rawburn near Longformacus, covering over 4,500ha to enhance biodiversity and support ground nesting birds as well as Black Grouse. Native woodland is being encouraged by fencing off areas and replacing conifer woodland with mixed native broadleaved trees. These measures will enhance the landscape value and improve the habitat for Black Grouse. A large hedge planting programme is also being undertaken to provide shelter and to form wildlife corridors connecting habitats such as watercourses with woodlands.
