What we do
The project area covers over 200km² within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and includes two major sites of conservation importance: Long Mynd SSSI and the Stiperstones NNR.
Stepping Stones takes an innovative, landscape-scale approach to nature conservation. The aim is ecological connectivity: connecting wildlife habitats by strengthening or creating ‘stepping stones’ and corridors of habitat between and around the two core sites of Long Mynd and the Stiperstones. In practice, this means creating areas of heathland, flower-rich grassland and broadleaved woodland and linking them by a network of hedgerows, road verges, hillsides and streamside wetlands.
Currently there are three main strands to the programme: working with farmers, working with the wider local community and volunteers, and managing 'stepping stones' owned by the National Trust and our partner organisations.
Who we are
Stepping Stones has been developed with a range of partners including Natural England, the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership, Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Middle Marches Community Land Trust.
Importantly in this agricultural landscape we have the support of a reference group of local farmers who are highly engaged with the project.
The Stepping Stones programme is led by the National Trust, who currently employ the project team:
- Charlie Bell, Stepping Stones Project Manager
- Currently vacant - Stepping Stones Project Officer
- John Adams, Stepping Stones Project Coordinator
Why is the project needed?
For centuries traditional, low intensity livestock farming in the Shropshire Hills created a beautiful landscape rich in natural features and wildlife. However, the difficulties of farming with poor soils and harsh weather conditions, in combination with challenging market conditions and the current system of grants and subsidies, have brought about changes that have negatively impacted the landscape and its wildlife.
Some areas of heathland, flower-rich grasslands, and wetlands have been lost completely, others have been damaged or reduced in size. Many linking features such as hedgerows, road verges, field trees and streams have also been destroyed or degraded, isolating the remaining habitat patches. Areas of wildlife-rich habitat, including the Long Mynd and the Stiperstones, have become ecologically isolated from each other.
The effect of these changes is that many species characteristic of the Shropshire Hills, such as dormouse, curlew, mountain pansy and the small pearl bordered fritillary butterfly, are in decline or have been lost completely.