EXCAVATION works are taking place at sand dunes in a bid to improve habitats for rare wildlife. 

The works began on Monday, August 21, at Penhale Dunes near Perranporth.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust announced the works, which will involve using machinery to make 'V-shaped' notches in the sand dunes to help the many species which make use of open areas of bare sand. 

Penhale is one of the largest dune systems in Cornwall, spanning 620 hectares (1,532 acres). Sand dunes are listed as the habitat most at risk in Europe for biodiversity loss, so the wildlife trust is helping to rejuvinate this rea of mobile dunes. 

Jon Cripps, Penhale Dunes ranger at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “The work will look quite dramatic as it’s unusual to see big diggers on the dunes, shifting loads of sand. However, this short-term disruption should create long-term benefits for lots of dune-adapted wildlife.

“We’ll create open spaces for plants like sea holly and sea rocket to colonise and lots of warm sandy niches for the various insects that burrow into sand, such as the tiny silvery leaf-cutter bee, the minotaur dung beetle and the predatory bee-wolf wasp!

"We hope the scale of the work will allow the wind to whistle through the dunes and keep these areas mobile, dynamic and diverse for many years to come.”

The area is designated nationally as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and internationally as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Penhale Dunes are home to a wide variety of wildlife, such as the much-loved silver-studded blue butterfly, scrambled egg lichen, skylarks, adders and protected plants such as petalwort, early gentian and shore dock.

A Cornwall Wildlife Trust spokesman said: "Sand dunes need to be free to move to support their resident wildlife and provide them with safe homes. Areas of naturally shifting mobile sand are essential to them being healthy and diverse ecosystems. Many burrowing insects require bare sand as part of their life cycle.

"Sadly, many sand dunes have become too stable and overgrown with dense vegetation. Sand dunes are now one of the most threatened habitat types for biodiversity loss in Europe. The percentage of precious bare and mobile sand at Penhale Dunes has dramatically reduced over recent decades.

"It is estimated that around 50% of Penhale Dunes comprised bare sand habitats in the 1940s; this has now reduced to less than 2%.

"A variety of reasons have led to this change, including a lack of large grazing animals eating dune plants and air pollution creating higher levels of nitrogen deposition which increases soil fertility, leading to increased plant growth and the spread of invasive plants."

The restoration work taking place at Penhale Dunes form part of Dynamic Dunescapes, a collaborative project working to restore 7,000 hectares (17,297 acres) of sand dunes across England and Wales.

‘Notches’ have been successfully created in other parts of the UK as part of the Dynamic Dunescapes project, including at Formby and Ainsdale, on the Sefton Coast. This will be the first time the technique has been used in Cornwall.

Lt Col Andy Westcott (Retd), training safety officer for Cornwall Defence Infrastructure Organisation said: “We are extremely proud to be working with Cornwall Wildlife Trust on the Dynamic Dunescapes project. As custodians of this fantastic dune system, it’s great to see this management work happening to improve its condition and suitability for sand-loving wildlife.”

During the works, access to the coast path, which runs along the beach at this point, will be unaffected. However, there may be slight delays on the permissive route along the dune ridge, as machinery crosses. For safety reasons Cornwall Wildlife Trust and landowners the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) ask people to please keep away from machinery at all times.

Dynamic Dunescapes is a partnership project funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and EU LIFE programme. Project partners are Natural England, Plantlife, Natural Resources Wales, National Trust and The Wildlife Trusts.