Duration: Nine months

Placement host: Ashdown Forest Project

Location: Ashdown Forest Centre, Forest Row, Sussex

Landholding: Approx 10square miles (2,396 hectacres)

 

Livestock: 300 hebridean sheep, 17 exmoor ponies, commoners cattle,deer

 

The Project: Ashdown Forest is 10 square miles of internationally important designated wildlife habitat and the largest public open space in South East England. Nearly two thirds of its area is heathland, amounting to 2.5% of the UK's extent of this rare habitat.

 

The Work: The successful candidate will have a fabulous opportunity to experience a shepherd's year on Ashdown Forest. The trainee will work alongside staff and volunteers and participate in all livestock tasks. Further hands on experience will be gained at Townings Farm; with rare breeds, cattle, sheep,pigs, and all land management tasks .Townings has a butchery and farm shop. Sussex Pony Grazing and Conservation trust works in the forest and south downs conserving the chalk grassland and heathland from habitat degradation using semi feral exmoor ponies. The trust will offer practical experience on the management of semi feral ponies in conservation grazing.

www.towningsfarm.co.uk

www.sussexponygazing.co.uk

For details on how to apply for this placement please click here Applications close 20th January