Something's creeping up the hills. . .

				HILLS. . .
			THE
		UP
	CREEPING
SOMETHING'S
	"The most beautiful silhouette in the world" -that's how Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin described the Malvern Hills.

	Little by little Every day, every week, every year. You may not have noticed it Because it's silent and slow and stealthy But it's changing the face of the hills...
What's creeping up the Hills? Natural vegetation of all sorts. Bracken, gorse and bramble. Then sycamore, mountain ash and birch saplings take hold.
Why does this matter?		Why is this happening? Large numbers of stock used to graze the Hills and nearby commons. This kept down the growth of natural vegetation. But stock aren't grazing the Malverns as much as they once did. So everything keeps growing.

Imagine what will happen if we do nothing about the creeping vegetation:

The distinctive profile of the Hills - gone.
The panoramic views from the top - gone.
The freedom to roam - gone.
The sense of spaciousness and openness - gone.
Many insects, butterflies, wildflowers - gone.

So it's important to halt the vegetation that's crept up in the past few years - for the sake of the landscape, nature conservation, and our own enjoyment.

Is this a new problem?

The decline in grazing began 40 or 50 years ago. But in the past 20 years there has been a lot more traffic, people and dogs in the area - and they can all cause problems for livestock.

Can someone do something about the creeping vegetation?

The Malvern Hills Conservators' new Management Plan suggests some ways to deal with the problem. We can't recreate the bare hills of the 1890's, and wouldn't want to, but we can try to halt the creeping growth. The Plan suggests aiming to remove the tree and scrub growth since 1990.

Solutions

Encourage more grazing by sheep, cattle or ponies. This may require:

Enclosing some grassland with hedges or fences to keep the stock safe.
Managing and calming traffic to reduce the risks to grazing stock.
Publicity about why it s so important to keep dogs under control.
Employment of a shepherd.

	Mowing and strimming some grassland - but most of the hills are too steep for this, and mowing is not as good for wildlife as grazing.
	Clearing scrub from the open grasslands by cutting, and then introducing grazing to prevent re-growth of the scrub.
	Obtain funding and support for management and work with other bodies that want to conserve the Hills.

The Malvern Hills is of national importance for -
	its geographical uniqueness, its striking scenic qualities, its nature conservation value, its archaeological sites, and the opportunities it provides for outdoor recreation.
If nothing is done, the trees will creep to the top.

Why 'Malvern'? In Celtic times, 'Moel' meant 'bare' and 'Bryn' meant 'hill'. But for how much longer?
Malvern's national importance was recognised in 1959 when it was declared an official Area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB). Within the AONB there are 12 official Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSls) - including the entire ridge of the Hills. How can you help? The Conservators very much want to work with other bodies - such as the Commoners, English Nature and the Malvern Hills AONB office. Most importantly, the Conservators want the help, support and understanding of local people and visitors. With your help and support it is possible to stop the creeping vegetation. Future generations will thank us for doing something. If we do nothing, the Malvern Hills will soon be known as the Malvern Forest.
Want to know more?
The Management Plan is 40 pages long, and covers a wide range of subjects. It sets out policies which will lead to Action Programmes for the management of the land for which the Conservators are responsible. It can be seen in full on this web site or if you prefer copies can be seen at the Malvern Hills Conservators office, in libraries, or purchased from the Conservators (£5.00 plus £1.00 postage, cheques payable to Malvern Hills Conservators).
Malvern Hills Conservators The Countryside Agency The leaflet this information is based on is part-funded by a grant from The Countryside Agency
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HILLS. . .

THE

UP

CREEPING

SOMETHING'S