Wilder Woodah: Nature recovery and carbon storage on a working livestock farm

At Woodah Farm, there are ambitious plans to scale up nature recovery alongside food production and carbon storage, acting as a demonstration centre for nature-based solutions on working livestock farms.

Nature-based intervention:

Woodah Farm, a 57 hectare site near Doddiscombleigh, was left as a legacy to the Devon Wildlife trust who took full ownership in 2009. Since then, efforts have been made to restore several parts for wildlife, whilst the area continues to operate as a working livestock farm. Initially, many tasks focused on managing hedgerows. However as time passed, the project expanded, and in 2021, Woodah Farm was selected as one of 12 high-impact initiatives committed to helping the UK achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As part of this, various management practices are being trialed and evaluated, in hopes of Woodah acting as a ‘demonstration site’ for nature-based solutions in similar areas across Devon. The core of this project is assessing how grazing levels can be reduced whilst maintaining species diversity and maximising carbon storage. Thus, from 2020 to 2021, cattle numbers were reduced from 44 to 35. Additionally, the Trust aims to promote soil recovery, restore the land’s natural processes, and enhance water availability by planting trees and expanding ponds. Exeter University collaborates with volunteers to evaluate the effectiveness of the approaches, so that other land-owners may be inspired to adopt similar practices that best suit their needs.

Overview of context:

Before being handed to the Trust, Woodah was a typical traditional Devon smallholding. The land was used for cattle and sheep grazing but had not received active management from the previous owner for an extended period. Consequently, several issues arose: the grass was over-grazed, leading to a depletion of topsoil nutrients, there was a lack of thick hedges, and the infrastructure was deteriorating. Despite encountering these challenges, the area still maintained a moderate species richness, which is characteristic of grassland habitats. Moreover, the trust had also gained ownership of Scanniclift Copse, a rich 1.8 hectare woodland adjoining the farm, creating potential for successful restoration.