AFTER a successful trial last autumn, the Canal & River Trust is replacing its industrial lawnmowers along a stretch of the Droitwich Canal, with nature’s own lawnmowers, a herd of Shetland cows.

Six Shetland cows have moved onto the land this week to graze around the Coney Meadow reed bed, and it’s hoped that the new system will make for a more varied landscape, encouraging wildlife to return to the area, including grasshopper warblers which have recently started nesting on the site, and a host of insects which provide sources of food for bats and birds.

Mark Robinson, ecologist with the Canal and River Trust, said: “The cows were brilliant last year, so we thought we’d bring them back. They do so much good work, creating a real mosaic of habitats that are ideal for increasing the wildlife diversity of the site. Even after one season grazing you can spot the difference, with clumps of sedge, rushes and dog rose, all of which would be missed by mechanical grass cutting. This is excellent for local biodiversity as it means there is more food sources for local species, like bats and birds. Coney Meadow is really important for local wildlife and the Droitwich Canal. We get a huge amount of visitors who come and see it, and the cows are in their own way another addition to the wildlife that make their home here.”

The cows have been provided by Wyre District Council, which uses them to graze conservation areas around the region.

For more information on the Trust, visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/.