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and Jason join Trust’s Forest team |
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One of the New Forest’s youngest commoners has become part of a two-man team
working on restoration of National Trust land.
Tom Hordle, who is just 19, has joined Jason Swinerd, the pair of them becoming
the first New Forest estate workers for the Trust, helping to look after the
2400 hectares of common land owned by the organisation in the Forest.
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Tom started
looking after his family’s herd of Hereford and Angus cattle
and ponies that graze Ibsley Common, when he was just 14.
“My great-granddad was a commoner and I’ve inherited his love of
working outside and with animals. This job is ideal for me because
it involves looking after a lot of land. There’s always something
to do, something to learn and plenty to see. It’s a lifestyle as
well as a job,” he said. |
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“Jason and Tom are much more
than workers on the ground,” said Doug. “They are our eyes and ears
in the Forest. It makes a huge difference having them here and means
that we can push ahead with the restoration programmes much more easily.”
The work involves clearing alien species from the heathland to allow native species
to regenerate and improve the numbers of nesting birds, restoration of the boggy
areas which support a massive amount of wildlife and keeping the trees on the
commons in good shape. |
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Jason,
41, from Rownhams, had an early background in agriculture before
he worked in the building industry, mainly with rural constructions.
When work started to dry up, he joined the Trust on a voluntary basis, which
is also how Tom proved his commitment to the organisation. Both went to college
and both started work on the Trust’s New Forest commons in late June, under the
direction of New Forest project officer Doug England and area warden Ian Bradwell. |
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“We’ve only been working
together for a few months but we get on pretty well,” said Ian. “Tom’s
just 19 but I’ve learnt a lot from him about commoning and how it’s
managed on the Forest. I know a bit about the plants and butterflies
we see all the time, so we’re learning from each other.
“The Forest is an ancient place, full of surprises and if we see something special
we’re just as thrilled as any visitor,” he said. |
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