Fulford Heath Golf Club
Biodiversity Project
Fulford Heath Golf Club in Wythall, Worcestershire has had a long history of striving to enhance the biodiversity of their course with the inclusion of wildflowers, installing bird boxes, bug houses, introducing hedgehogs to the course and more.
In March 2020 Fulford Heath was contacted by the Natural Networks programme and offered an opportunity to seek funding to further enhance the biodiversity of the golf course. This opportunity was accepted, and a biodiversity enhancement assessment was undertaken in October 2020 when recommendations were made which were agreed in full. Hence an application for funding was made which was granted and work commenced in November 2021.
So far, this has resulted in an additional 100 native trees and shrubs, such as silver birch, hawthorn, wild cherry, field maple and crab apple being planted. This enabled the replacement of some non-native trees and trees that had died or been affected by storm damage. Also planted were three thousand bulbs of wild daffodil, wild garlic, British bluebells and lily of the valley. Additional bird boxes, including Barn Owl and Kestrel boxes have been installed. Currently wildflower seeding is being undertaken and two small shallow ponds not stocked with fish are being created to encourage breeding sites for frogs, toads and dragonflies. These ponds are sited well out of the way hopefully of even the most extreme of wayward golfers.
Other habitat features are also being undertaken including hibernacula, compost heaps, deadwood monoliths and log piles. These provide sites for wildlife to shelter and hibernate. The Natural Networks programme is a European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funded three-year partnership between Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Worcestershire County Council.
