I’ve recently moved into a conservation role (previously the Trust’s digital communications officer), and now much of my role is focused on helping care for and restore our county’s precious heathlands.

I’ve been getting stuck in with our amazing volunteers creating new bare-earth scrapes at Highgate Common Nature Reserve, as well as carrying out site checks at Gentleshaw Common Nature Reserve. Join me as I undercover why they’re so important for our wildlife and once you’ve finished reading hopefully you’ll agree we’re super lucky to have these rare fragments in our patch of the UK.

Growing up near a woodland, I’ll admit heathlands are a whole new world to me, one which I’m finding fascinating and enjoying discovering. I literally learn something new every day! But why are heathlands important? And what makes heathlands so good for wildlife?

Heathland history

Did you know the UK has lost over 80 per cent of its heathlands since the 1800s? Yet it still holds one-fifth of the planet's lowland heath, so what remains is absolutely vital to the survival of so much incredible wildlife.

Heathland is one of our most threatened wildlife habitats. These often vast, open spaces are places where gorse (with little yellow flowers that smell like coconut), bracken, heather and grasses thrive and grow. Sometimes, birch and pine trees are dotted around too.

It’s a semi-natural habitat which was first created around 5,000 years ago when we (humans) cleared trees from infertile soils. Later, we used it for grazing livestock. Grazing and tree removal caused a further drop in the soil nutrient levels and acidity to increase. These conditions suited heathland plants previously limited to coasts, clifftops and mountainsides. If undisturbed, heathland naturally develops into woodland, as trees such as birch move back in and gradually enrich the soil. 

Ecologically, heathland is split into upland heath or 'moorland' and lowland heath, the cut-off is approximately the 1,000ft contour. Both types are well represented in Staffordshire although there has been a serious decline in lowland heath over the last century.

Heathland signature species

This rare and unique habitat is home to so much wildlife, but heather is the species that makes a heathland. Able to grow in low nutrient soils, it is a signature plant to heathland, but did you know three different species can be found on our Staffordshire heathlands?

Ling (Calluna vulgaris) is the most common species; their leaves grow in opposite rows, greyish when young, developing into pale purple flowers arranged in spikes. Rare white-flowered plants are said to bring good luck!

Bell heather (Erica cinerea) is often the first species to flower from the end of May onwards.

Its dark-green leaves with in-rolled margins grow in whorls of three with clusters of smaller leaves at their base. It has intensely purple, bell-shaped flowers with four teeth, larger than those of ling, arranged in a spike along the main shoot and at the tips of side branches. 

Cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix) is sometimes known as bog heather because it favours wet patches in higher rainfall areas. Leaves have downy grey hairs and grow in groups of four. Rose-pink, globular bells bloom at the shoot tips. It is often part of a specialised flora in wet moorland flushes alongside sphagnum moss and sundew.

Seasonal visitors

At this time of year, we welcome back some species we haven’t seen last summer. Cuckoos can be heard across our heathlands; nightjars are arriving and preparing to mate. Flocks of linnets are back, along with stonechats, and the calls of warblers can be heard once more. Both willow warbler and common or greater whitethroat.

Cuckoos are well known for their migratory flight from Africa and their parasitic brooding, laying their eggs in other birds' nests. However, did you know that cuckoos only make their distinct "Cuck-ooo" call during the breeding season? Its purpose is to attract a mate between April and early August but the call isn’t heard in Africa, where they spend the rest of their lives.

Then we have our special invertebrates. These little guys can be seen scattered on our heathlands paths and new bare areas of earth (scrapes) which we create on our sites. By exposing the bare ground and sandy turf underneath the shrubbery, we create the perfect conditions for many species of beetles, bees and wasps.

Green tiger beetles have strong sickle-shaped jaws (mandibles) with several teeth. The adults are iridescent green in colour with yellowish spots on their back. They feed on any small invertebrates they can catch, including spiders, caterpillars and ants! Even their larva is interesting: it is laid in burrows in the ground and acts as a pitfall trap, it too has strong mandibles, so when any unfortunate victim falls into the trap, the larva can grab it and feast on it!

I was thrilled when I got up close with the UK’s largest moth the other day. The emperor moth loves our heathlands. It can be up to 10cm in width and has large antennae on its head. These moths prefer the edges of heathlands next to woodland as the tree line can act as a wind barrier; they are rarely seen in daylight, but if you are lucky, like I was, it will most likely be a male. During the day males fly around in search of females releasing pheromones in the hope of breeding. The females are larger but greyer in colour and only fly at night.

Heathlands are few and far between now but still host a spectacular amount of species. These species have a domino effect on the other, and the loss of one due to the loss of habitat, if not maintained through cattle grazing and removing new tree growth, can have a devastating effect on the whole ecology of a site. That’s why it’s so important we restore and maintain this places.

I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about our heathlands, and remember you can be a part of protecting these places: either as a member and by supporting our Kickstart appeal. The funds from this will go directly to our conservation work, so that people like me can do more to help our county’s precious wildlife.

You can find more information about some of the other heathlands we look after below.