Grasslands are really important places for wildlife and conservation grazing is the best way to ensure grassland wildlife thrives.  

The approach reflects low-intensity farming practices and mimics the impact that herds of large, wild-roaming herbivores would have had on landscapes of the past.   

It is a return to more traditional grazing practices but for the modern purposes of conservation. 

We need help with the core costs of running a herd of 400 traditional-breed cows and sheep across some of the most important grasslands in Essex. 

We need funding for: 

Healthy, happy livestock - providing a low-stress environment with daily welfare checks on each & every animal, good nutritional food, clean water, medication, veterinary care plus good quality housing when required. 

Growing herds – good over-wintering and calving accommodation and around the clock care for ewes lambing with help on hand for those needing it. 

Ability to move animals easily and safely between our sites – purchase & maintenance of specialist livestock kit including handling and transporting equipment such as our quad bikes, corrals, tractor, livestock trailers and road-towing vehicles in good working order. 

Skilled, trained, experienced staff – Team of 4 x skilled and knowledgeable conservation grazing staff, supported by volunteers, caring for 400 animals whilst working safely, understanding how to balance the wildlife aims of each grazed site with the welfare needs of the livestock and the visitors to our reserves. 

We aim to raise £125,000 – 50% of our £250,000 annual conservation grazing operation costs.   

Conservation grazing is hugely beneficial to our nature reserves and to the wildlife that depends on these special places.   

When different types and different breeds of livestock graze freely, they each select different plants and even different parts of the plant, to nibble or browse. Over time, this selective eating by different animals creates a varied structure within the plants and the habitat. It is this that helps create the right conditions for a wide range of insects, birds, reptiles, mammals and plants to thrive.   

Some examples include: 

• Wigeon - wigeon gather in large numbers in winter, particularly on wet grasslands. On land they feed like geese, using their short strong bill to clip vegetation with about 80% of their diet consisting of grass leaves.
• Dark-bellied brent geese -  these arrive in Essex each winter after a long flight from Siberia needing undisturbed feeding areas to refuel.
• Lapwing – lapwing nests are shallow scrapes or depressions in the ground, typically in open grassland.
• Brown hare – hares need quiet, undisturbed cover to raise their young, or leverets. They are born fully furred, with their eyes open and left above ground. Once a day, for the first month, the leverets are fed by the female but otherwise receive no parental care.
• Green-winged orchid – thrive in unimproved meadows and chalk grassland where traditional grazing practices have been maintained up to 75,000 flower at our Langdon or Chafford nature reserves.
• Yellow meadow ant - associated with undisturbed and old grasslands these ants form large colonies. Their mounds often support a different plant community from the surrounding grassland. Most activity is underground - their tunnel networks benefit soil water and air circulation. 

Our cows and sheep travel around the county, visiting various nature reserves at different times of the year. 

Keep your eyes open for our amazing grazers at - Blue House Farm, Chigborough Lakes, Cranham Marsh, Crowsheath Wood, Fingringhoe Wick, Great Holland Pits, Gunners Park, Iron Latch, Langdon Nature Park, Little Haven, Little Waltham Meadows, Phyllis Currie, Sargeants Orchard, Tollesbury Wick and Wrabness nature reserves.

Without being able to graze, the only options would be mowing or burning. Both of these techniques cause rapid and dramatic habitat change and leave behind a uniform structure. Mechanical methods cannot replicate the unique conditions that grazing animals create as they pick and choose what they eat throughout the year. 

Our policy on virtual fence grazing technology.

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Thank you for your support! You can donate in the following ways: 

• Online 

Click the button above on this page to make a donation by Debit/Credit card.

• By phone 

Donations can be made to the appeal over the phone by calling 01621 862964 between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday - Friday. 

• By post 

Send your donation to: Amazing Grazing appeal, Essex Wildlife Trust, Abbotts Hall Farm, Colchester Rd, Great Wigborough Nr Colchester ESSEX CO5 7RZ. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Essex Wildlife Trust’ and have ‘Amazing Grazing’ written on the reverse.

Adopt-a-Species – Looking for a gift that does good? Adopt a cow or sheep for someone special, and you’ll be giving back to nature at the same time. Every adoption supports our Amazing Grazing appeal, helping us protect and restore the grasslands that wildlife depends on.

Adopt a species now

Volunteering - Want to join our Team?  

Volunteer Livestock Checker  - this role can include stock counts, welfare checks, fence line walks, water supply checks, and reporting any issues. Individuals will receive training and gain valuable experience of cattle, sheep and ponies in addition to visiting some of our wonderful reserves. 

Want to find out more?  Please visit Essex Wildlife Trust’s ‘Volunteer With Us’ page and search current opportunities involving livestock management  

Whatever your background or interests, our volunteers prove there’s a place for everyone in helping to make Essex wilder. 

Volunteer with us