Three little piggies

Rangers at Wyre Forest District Council are developing a biodiversity grazing project which also has educational benefits – and it’s all thanks to three little pigs!

Pongo, Pepper and George are proving that pigs have many talents. These rare breed Gloucester old spots have been raised from eight weeks old with the help of a group of pupils from Wolverley High School near Kidderminster.

Now four months on, the pigs have been released into the relative wilds of a local nature reserve to enjoy the summer and autumn munching their way through the prolific bramble.

Paul Allen, head of the Ranger Service at Wyre Forest District Council said

“The aim of this project is to use the pigs to control invasive scrub plants which would damage the conservation interest on one of Worcestershire’s more important wetlands. This has previously has been done mechanically.

The piglets were acquired from a local prison and then reared in a local school until they were a suitable age to be put on the nature reserve.  For a few months the animals will control the scrub not only on this nature reserve but also on some of the district heaths.”

Council rangers will be keeping an eye on the pigs over the summer and autumn months. After the pigs have gained enough weight they will be taken to market.

Paul Allen continues

“The educational idea is to increase the pupils’ awareness of what is involved in food production and enable them to relate to where meat comes from.  They will also learn about their local nature reserves and how the pigs help in increasing biodiversity. Pigs have been used to manage biodiversity before but not linked with education in this way as far as we know. As well as the educational and environmental benefits of this scheme, the project has financial benefits too.  We are saving the expense of bramble clearing in this nature reserve and the pigs will provide a financial return when they go to market.”

Amy Tibbitts, a pupil at Wolverley High School involved with the project said

“It’s been a great project and we’ve learnt a lot about pigs and the way they live.  I really enjoyed helping to build both the pen and the pig ark where the pigs have been at school and where they will sleep and shelter on the nature reserve.”

Councillor Tracey Onslow Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet Member for Community & Partnership Services said

“This is a pioneering project and we are pleased to be involved with an initiative that educates local young people, preserves the environment, and has financial benefits. This has been a pilot project so we are closely following its progress so we can consider how we build on the idea in the future.”

Date issued - 5 July 2010