DSC_0183The Ironbridge Gorge is now a tranquil place and a good place to see a wide range of wildlife.

Our woodlands are made up of a vast array of tree species. All but a few of the native species are present somewhere in the Gorge. Our woodlands support a wide variety of birds, common species such as the Blackbird, Robin and Buzzard to the rarer Marsh Tit, Willow Tit and Bullfinch. Our woodlands are also home to some special plants such as the parasitic Birds Nest Orchid, Violet Helleborine and Herb Paris.

If you’re quiet enough you may spot a fox, a badger or one of the numerous Fallow or Muntjac deer which roam through the Gorge.

Our meadows and grasslands are some of the best in the county with Common Spotted Orchids, Twayblade, Stichwort, Yellow Rattle and Butterfly Orchid. On warm summer days the hay meadows are something to behold and are full of a huge array of insects.Bee Orchid

The Trust’s land supports a wide range of invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. Great Crested Newts breed in our ponds.

Grass Snakes and lizards warm themselves on our heathlands. Case Caddisflies and crane flies such the internationally rare Lipsothrix nigristigma breed in our woodland dingles.

The Trust has ecology at its core. We monitor our sites using consultant ecologists and data collected informs our management decisions. The Trust takes a broad approach to land management at a landscape scale and does not manage the land for any particular species at the expense of another.