PADLEY Common in Chagford was the scene of much environmental activity recently during a community day to help preserve the countryside. The event was organised by Natural England with Chagford Parish Council and included a spot of scrub bashing, clearing litter and a barbecue. There was also an information stand, health stall and bird feeder stall. Pete Stevens, of Natural England, said: ?As well as engaging people in conservation work we also aimed to raise people?s awareness of the need for management in this area to maintain its high nature conservation value.? He added that one of the important tasks was for volunteers to help encourage the breeding ground in the wetlands of the marsh fritillary butterflies, whose numbers have plummeted in numbers across the country. Padley Common is a 13-hectare area of land owned by the parish council and forms part of Chagford Commons. It is an area of purple moor grass and rush pasture and provides important habitats for many species, including the marsh fritillary butterfly, the reed bunting and woodcock and is grazed by cattle and Dartmoor ponies. The area is in its sixth year of an Environmental Sensitive Area agreement with Natural England and improvements carried out so far include controlling scrub and bracken and the gradual recovery of grassland and heath.
