Farming for nature's recovery

The Corrigan family lives on the shores of Lower Lough Erne and they have a farm at Portnacloyaduff in west Fermanagh.  They graze their species-rich grass and woodlands extensively with beef cattle and have long supported agri-environment schemes.  They deliver multiple ‘public goods’ such as wildlife habitats, flood protection, and carbon storage.  Active membership of the EFS Group enables them to add to their already extensive knowledge of wildlife and vice versa for our own staff.

Despite being poorly drained, hard to access and difficult land to work, the Corrigans continue to assist wildlife across the whole farm. For instance, come September, the slopes of Blackslee Hill are ablaze with devil’s-bit scabious (locally known as blue button) – the food plant of the endangered marsh fritillary butterfly. Their EFS agreement encourages appropriate grazing management for species and habitats like this, and Roger has been known to contact the office when the blue button is at its best.  Meanwhile, back at the farmyard, the Corrigans have red squirrels and play host to hedgehogs and swallows in the spring. They also grow pollinator-friendly species around the garden.

As the geese fly in over the lough, the conversation is infinitely enriched by Roger’s lifetime of observations.  As he comments, “I love to enjoy my surroundings, and sometimes all it takes is to stop a while and nature will come to you.” One thing is for sure, high-nature-value countryside like this needs farmers like the Corrigans.

Nigel Irwin runs a mixed farm in the wildlife-rich valleys above Boho, west of Enniskillen, with dairy and beef cattle. Farming on the slopes of Aghnaglack – an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) –and one of the few remaining hotspots for species-rich grassland, Nigel is fully aware of the importance of his careful stewardship.  He remarks, “I try to ensure that the land is kept in good condition and that the wildlife it supports can thrive.” In practical terms, this can mean cutting the rushes late in the season to allow the devil’s-bit scabious to set seed, even though the scheme allows cutting from 15 July onwards.

The purple moor grass fields that Nigel farms are some of the best examples of this habitat remaining in the country.  Many years of good grazing and cutting management have developed a tussocky grass structure, featuring successive swathes of orchids, ragged robin, and other species. On an early September day when we walked the fields, small tortoiseshell butterflies filled the air, busy nectaring on late-season species, like the scabious. As an EFS Group member, Nigel has learnt what to look for when recording marsh fritillary larval webs and notifies us when he locates them.  As he says, “The Group helps knowledge-transfer and brings farmers together to discuss solutions to the many challenges of farming this type of land.”

Crucially the EFS Group has secured membership for all the farmers involved in managing Aghnaglack ASSI.  Landscape-scale benefits can therefore accrue from everyone pulling in the same direction, securing a de-facto ‘nature reserve’ for years to come.  Assistance with rush cutting, scrub clearance and fencing infrastructure maintains and expands species-rich farmland though the scheme and Nigel for one is proud of his ongoing involvement.