Land of Heritage aims to reverse the staggering decline in ancient Culm Grassland. Since 1900, 92% of the ancient Culm Grassland has been lost and is now rarer that tropical forests!

Your land may be a novel gift, but it is also protecting the environment. By purchasing an imperial square inch of ancient meadowland, you are contributing to protect the disappearing Culm Grassland of Devon.

Culm Grassland or Pasture is a marshy, heathy vegetation that occurs over the slates and shales of the Culm region across the counties of Devon and Cornwall. Culm Grassland has a very distinctive appearance since its wildness, colour, comparatively small field sizes and scrub and woodland surrounding the grassland make it stand out from the surrounding land.

There are a wealth of plants that have adapted to living in these conditions, and because of their success, a multitude of invertebrates live there also. These plants and animals together attract yet other animals as well a wide variety of birdlife to these areas.

It is a very diverse wildlife habitat, often extremely rich in wild flowers and supporting an immense range of other wildlife. The rich vegetation supports a large range of wildlife including over 20 butterfly species and over 50 recorded bird species in the area. Barn owls use the site frequently as a feeding ground, and may be seen roosting in the trees. Mammals present on the site include fox, roe deer and badgers, and the thick hedge banks and scrubby areas also support dormice, feeding on hazel and honeysuckle. The main causes are draining, ploughing and fertilising. The beautiful Marsh Fritillary butterfly and the Bee Hawk-moth have suffered a huge decline as a result of habitat loss.

Conservation groups have joined forces to try and halt the decline of rare Culm Grassland in Devon.