Flexigraze

'Flexigraze' was established in July 2007 to deliver conservation grazing to a wide variety of grassland sites throughout the North East of England.

Conservation grazing is a grassland management technique which involves using different types of grazing livestock to help meet nature conservation objectives. It allows a holistic and natural approach to maintaining grasslands for the benefit of all the species that occur there.

The scheme offers advice to farmers and other land managers on the type of livestock to use and at what time of year grazing should take place. It also provides suitable livestock if needed.

Several friends of groups have been established as volunteers who go out and check stock when it is on a conservation grazing site. A mature lamb scheme gives groups the opportunity to purchase the stock that has been used for conservation grazing. This helps raise funds for the project and gives communities in poorer areas access to high quality meat which they may not otherwise be able to afford.

A database of all conservation areas that benefit from grazing has been createdand is continuously updated to give a central record of the semi natural grasslands in the region.

Flexigraze Members

Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Northumbria Water
Newcastle City Council
North Tyneside Council
Gateshead Council
Woodland Trust
Durham Wildlife Trust
Durham County Council
Natural England

Other partners

Durham Biodiversity Partnership, Northumberland Biodiversity Partnership, Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership

Action plans that the project helps to deliver

Calaminarian grassland
Coastal heathland
Fen, marsh and swamp
Lowland heathland
Lowland meadow and pasture
Maritime cliffs and slopes
Recreational and amenity space
Saltmarsh and mudflat
Sand dune
Upland hay meadow
Whin grassland

Start date

July 2007

End date

Ongoing

Funded by

All members plus
Enviroment Agency
Cooperative Society
Northern Green Networks
Community Foundation

Who to contact for further information

Stephen Comber
Flexigraze Manager
stephen.comber@northwt.org.uk
Telephone: 0191 2846884

and Jess the newest member of the Flexigraze team who Stephen will be training as a Sheep Dog to help round up the stock used for conservation grazing.

Follow project progress on the flexigraze blog