Gorse cutting is to get underway at Hastings Country Park

Gorse is a native UK species that proliferates in the country park. It is the bright yellow gorse flowers that give the Firehills area of the country park its name.

Its dense, spiny thickets provide safe nesting and roosting cover for rare and declining bird species such as the Dartford warbler, stonechat, yellowhammer, and linnet as well as supporting a wide variety of insect life.

A Hastings Borough Council spokesperson said: “Our Grounds Maintenance Team is about to begin the latest phase of gorse cutting at the Firehills in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve. “This is the third gorse cut-and-collect operation we have carried out as part of our ongoing project to restore the reserve's precious lowland heathland. Lowland heathland is a rare and ancient habitat that supports a wide range of rare wildlife and is recognised as a Priority Habitat in the UK. “While gorse is an important heathland species, it can grow rapidly and, alongside bracken, dominate the landscape, outcompeting other important heathland plants. “As this work progresses, the area will gradually transition from dense gorse scrub to a more diverse mosaiced heathland habitat, providing space for a greater variety of heathland plants and wildlife. “Habitat restoration is a long-term process, but visitors can already begin to see the transformation taking place. On your next visit, keep an eye out for heathland species emerging through the undergrowth.”