TWO DARTMOOR ponies are munching their way through grassland to help revamp it.

The two ponies, called Rufus and Tavy, have travelled all the way from Devon to carry out some conservation grazing on a rare slice of chalk grassland in Saltbox Hill Nature Reserve, Biggin Hill.

Saltbox Hill is home to a number of rare plants and insects and the ponies are going to be hard at work all winter eating their way through some of the grass which is drowning out the orchids, helping to prepare the site for a colourful spring.

The nature reserve is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as over the years many rare species of butterflys, wildflower and grasses have been found on the land, including pyramidal orchids, wild basil and quaking grass.

Ian Rappel, London Wildlife Trust’s conservation land manager, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to enhance the management and biodiversity value of our chalk grassland.

“The ponies are being provided by the Old Surrey Downs Project, which also helped us prepare the SSSI through fencing and other work – it’s a true working partnership for wildlife.”

London Wildlife Trust is dedicated to protecting the capital’s wildlife and wild spaces and this is the first time the charity has used Dartmoor ponies on one of their sites.

Chalk grassland is one of the rarest and most endangered wildlife habitats and can support up to 50 flowering plants in a single square metre.

Conservation grazing is the use of animals to manage sites of conservation interest to encourage the wildlife the areas support, and to also allow less competitive species to become established as dominant plant species are reduced.

Physical damage to vegetation from trampling, lying, rolling and pushing can also increase structural diversity.

The Old Surrey Downs Project is a five-year project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

It is currently in year three and has already delivered more than 6,520m of fencing which can be grazed.

Other animals included in the project are 115 sheep, three cattle and 11 goats which are being used to graze about 140 acres of chalk grassland on the North Downs.

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