THE rangers special four- legged conservation volunteers have returned to the Wyre Forest District Council's nature reserves.

This year, their first mission is to help increase numbers of the beautiful southern marsh orchid which grow within the Site of Special Scientific Interest that is Puxton Marsh.

The way these volunteers are hoping to achieve this noble task is to eat all the other marshland plants and so reduce the orchid's competition for light.

Considering the grazed area at Puxton is some three hectares and the vegetation growth is over one metre tall the task would be way beyond most human volunteers, but it will be a task that will lift the hearts of the young belted galloway cows which will be carrying out the work.

Only a very small number of these cattle will be used, thus preventing any damage to the soft marshland ground . They will only be on site until September.

It is important that the grazing is repeated this year for the orchids as the marshland is being invaded by scrub willow, which can easily out-grow the orchids in terms of speed and growth and overall height. The rangers in the past have organised volunteer groups to carry out work to help reduce the willows encroachment.

The re-pollarding of the larger willows which run through the centre of the marsh has been carried out this year to help maintain this amazing habitat.

As the pollards become more mature they form a hotel for bats, bugs and beasties. Pollarding is the traditional management technique for willow trees and involves cutting off all the branches at a height of between two or three metres off the ground.

This at first may appear drastic but the technique if repeated at a regular period of around every three to six years prolongs the tree's life and reduces the risk of it collapsing under its own weight.

It is hoped this conservation work will help the southern marsh orchid and all marshland wild flowers and boost the nationally important habitat of Puxton Marsh.