29th September: Vegetation clearance at the Snook

Each year, the team at Lindisfarne NNR organise task days with the Northumberland Coastal Volunteer group. This weekend we were raking up loose vegetation cuttings and cutting some regeneration of scrub, particularly hawthorn. Any emergent Scots pine saplings that had appeared over the last year were also removed.

Raking up the cuttings into piles to be taken off the Reserve

This vegetation cutting on certain areas of the dunes is carried out annually to ensure removal of rank vegetation and to prevent regeneration of scrub and trees such as Scots pine.

There are already established trees and scrub among the sand dunes, providing valuable cover for passerines, but regeneration is prevented to preserve the unique ecosystem of the dunes and slacks.