ITV’s weathergirl, Ruth Dodsworth visited a Wye Valley nature reserve recently to see how conservation and grazing goes hand in hand.

She went to Pentwyn Farm and spoke to Joe Ryder, Conservation Grazing Officer with Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT).She was there finding out how livestock are used to restore diversity to damaged habitats by grazing and trampling the fields and creating the perfect environment for insects and plants which helps to restore the natural order of wildlife.Joe explained how they use traditional Hereford cattle on the nature reserve for conservation grazing. "The rough grassland is fantastic for invertebrates" he explained, "and it’s the cattle doing the work for us and managing the grasslands themselves".Ruth admitted that cattle haven’t had the best of press when it comes to climate change and carbon emissions "but these cattle are doing something different" she said.Joe explained that the cattle are carbon neutral as they are "managing the nature reserves by keeping the soil safe below, "the soil itself can sequester huge amounts of carbon for us" he explained.He added that as they trample nibble and graze, they create lots of microclimates "and within those microclimates are created biodiversity and places for invertebrates, birds and small mammals to inhabit and live."The grassland is the base of the triangle and is supporting mammals and birds and bigger animals all the way up to deer" he added.It’s not only the grazing that creates habitats, the dung is a huge part of the eco-system and provides an invertebrate habitat "and if the cattle weren’t on the nature reserve, that would exclude these invertebrates form the site, many of those invertebrates are quite endangered and some are an unusual species to have on site" said Joe.For more information, visit www.gwentwildlife.org/living-landscapes/conservation-grazing