Below are details of some of the organisations we are currently working with. We are pleased to be able to offer a variety of regeneration solutions to a wide range of businesses and organisations. We have the benefit of being able to work sister companies which are part of Heathcote Holdings, enabling us to provide a complete package to suit each customers’ needs.
Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership:
The Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership offer countryside management, education and advice to a broad range of stakeholders across Kent and the Kentish Stour catchment. We are proud to work with them in delivering environmental benefit, having restored six ponds and created one for Great Crested Newt Habitat on our in-house farms. We have also been approved for the installation of a Barn Owl Box adjoining one of our low intensity grassland habitats, which will be installed prior to 2023 breeding season.
In addition to working with the partnership on our in house farms, we also work with our sister company FGS Pilcher to find suitable sites for further Great Crested Newt Ponds and have successfully restored and created over 100 ponds for the partnership in the last five years.
Forestry England:
We are proud to work with Forestry England in the delivery and management of their woodland creation scheme at Pleasant Farm near Lenham. This project is looking to revert approximately 200 acres of arable land back to a mixture of woodland types, with low intensity grassland rides dissecting woodland blocks. It has been a pleasure to assist in the delivery of this scheme and we look forward to working towards its completion over the next couple of years.
We have also assisted Forestry England with vegetation and woodland management across their portfolio of properties within Kent, which has involved cut and collect to promote wildflowers, ride management to allow sunlight into woodland and improving access for the general public along permissive and formal public rights of way.
Kent Wildlife Trust:
The Kent Wildlife Trust act as facilitators for the local Upper Beult Farm Cluster, which most of our in house farms falls within. Habitat Regeneration’s Will Fraser is chair of this farm cluster working with the KWT, South East Rivers Trust, Southern Water and other local landowners to improve water quality and water retention within the catchment, whilst providing wider environmental and ecological benefits. This is an ongoing project which has received some exciting funding opportunities recently through Natural England and Southern Water, which should see the delivery of some headline schemes in the next 12-24 months.
We also look to host and provide talks and open days from our farm to demonstrate and discuss some of the management practices we have put in place. This includes looking at Stewardship options, Great Crested Newt Pond restorations and creations, scrape creations for wading birds, tree sparrow boxes, owl boxes and low intensity hedgerow management.
We also deliver environmental contracting solutions for the KWT alongside our sister company FGS Pilcher. This has included sensitively constructed board walks and paths through Hothfield Common, pond restorations in Hothfield Common and bog restorations in Blean Woods for the Bison Project.
South East Rivers Trust:
The South East Rivers Trust works across 12 river catchments. We have recently been working with them on the River Medway, with a focus on tributaries and water systems running into the River Beult. This has included trial projects looking to restore small tributaries of the river from deep, straight and fast flowing channels to more natural, shallow, slow flowing channels, which store water and create wetland wooded habitats. We assisted in the delivery of this scheme, altering the channels and installing large oak boughs to act as natural barriers.
Savills:
We continue to assist Savills in providing environmentally sensitive estate and farm management solutions. An example of recent works is a restoration project on the Holborough Downs, clearing back encroaching scrub, removing old fence lines and replacing with chestnut stock fencing to create field parcels which can be grazed under a sensitive management plan to promote wildflowers and native grassland species.
Chapel Down:
Chapel Down are a thriving wine producer within the South East of England who are taking proactive steps to improve their environmental footprint. We have assisted with stock fencing to allow for potential sheep grazing through vines. Chapel Down are also trialling wildflower and cover crop options down vie rows, to look at providing a more diverse habitat which benefits flora and fauna.
DS Smith:
We have helped DS Smith to deliver small wildlife areas across their site, this includes the creation of a wildflower area to promote pollinators and wildlife, whilst providing a relaxing place for their staff to enjoy.
Enfinium:
We are currently working with Enfinium to create a habitat feature around an attenuation pond, with a focus on promoting wildflowers and reptiles. We have been carrying out cut and collect services to reduce nutrient levels in the soil and will be planting additional wildflowers this autumn.