Grazing cow - Matthew Roberts
Grazing project at Langdon
The Langdon Grazing Project at Willow Park, part of Langdon Nature Discovery Park, is nearing completion. Made possible thanks to the Landfill Communities Fund and Veolia Environmental Trust, this landscape-scale conservation project has already transformed how we manage this special site — delivering long-term benefits for wildlife, habitats and people.
What's been happening at Willow Park?
The Trust has created two large grazing enclosures covering more than 33.5 hectares of grassland and woodland. This includes 25.4 hectares of species-rich grassland, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), alongside 6.2 hectares of woodland.
For the first time at Essex Wildlife Trust, we have introduced no-fence virtual grazing technology, allowing us to manage conservation grazing in a more natural, flexible and sustainable way.
How no-fence grazing works
No-fence grazing collars are GPS-enabled collars worn by carefully selected and trained cows and sheep. They allow our Conservation Team to remotely manage virtual boundaries, grazing levels and exclusion zones using an app.
As animals approach a virtual boundary, the collar provides a gentle warning vibration, followed by a small correction if crossed — less intrusive than a traditional electric fence. Livestock quickly learn where the boundaries are, reducing stress and avoiding frequent manual movements between fields.
This technology has enabled animals to graze within larger, more natural enclosures, supporting animal welfare while helping us deliver effective conservation grazing at scale.
Restoring habitats through conservation grazing
Before the project began, the area was divided into 13 smaller fields, requiring regular mechanical management and livestock movements. By moving to a fully animal-led grazing system, we have reduced machinery use, improved operational efficiency and adopted a more sustainable approach to land management.
Across the grasslands, conservation grazing is already helping to restore natural ecological processes, increasing the structural and botanical diversity of the sward. This richer mix of grasses and wildflowers supports healthier soils, fungi and a wider range of invertebrates, benefiting birds, mammals and other wildlife.
Find out more about conservation grazing
Supporting woodland resilience
The project has also allowed us to take proactive action in our woodlands as ash trees — the dominant species — continue to be lost to ash dieback (chalara).
Rather than leaving these woods to change unchecked, grazing has begun to open up the woodland structure as ash declines. More light is reaching the forest floor, encouraging greater plant diversity and creating a network of open rides and clearings. This improves habitat connectivity and allows wildlife to move more freely through the landscape.
Where conditions allow, livestock are now remaining on site for extended periods, helping to manage the land naturally through the seasons.
