We decided to tackle the heather first. It is this way. We must keep the heather clean by cutting or pulling the bracken growing into it - not to mention the small birch trees and brambles both of which must be pulled up by the roots - across our small heathland of one hectare (2.4 acres) or so. If we did not do this the heather would be over-run and the whole area become scrubland in a very few years. Boring and hard work, yes, but the presence of a lizard sunning itself on an old stump more than made up knowing that it was there because of the heather - a favourite habitat.

But the heather will be a race against time. Bracken spores ripen in early August and, because they are carcinogenic we must avoid inhaling large quantities of them while working by them. A race - with just two regulars, or one man-day, a week? We will have to do more overtime! We had five or six in the team before we had to stop work due to the foot-and-mouth crisis. I knew it would happen that way - in fact I mentioned it in April.

Never mind, we have a secret weapon in our new mower which we expect will be operating in August after the heather work has stopped and the last of the wildflowers will have finished flowering. What a pleasure it will be cutting the brambles off in their prime eventually to die out along the paths and rides to allow more grass and wildflowers to come into their own.

How you can help. Sussex Wildlife Trust, which owns our reserve, sees gardens as a major factor in sustaining the county's wildlife and has produced a simple survey form to ask if you have seen certain species in your the garden in the last year. The survey lasts until August 31 and if you would like have a survey form please contact our Conservation Careline on 01273 494777. I will publish the results in the autumn.

John Hall © 2001