What next for Upton Heath after charity buys land?

What next for Upton Heath after charity buys land?Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRos TappendenSouth of EnglandDorset Wildlife TrustUpton Heath is home to all six native reptiles, including sand lizardsRestoring a section of neglected heathland habitat could take two to three years, a charity has said.Dorset Wildlife Trust has completed the purchase of 110 acres at Upton Heath, near Poole, after a successful fundraising campaign.CEO Brian Bleese says the first job has been to clear large amounts of litter that had accumulated and to carry out surveys to assess the health of the habitat.Other priorities include scrub clearance and re-establishing fire breaks to prevent the spread of wildfires.Upton Heath is an internationally important area of heathland and home to all six of Britain's native reptiles, including the rare sand lizard and smooth snake.The 110-acre plot had previously been leased to the trust and was managed as part of the wider nature reserve but the lease was terminated "a few years ago" and the land offered for sale earlier this year with mineral extraction rights.A community campaign raised more than £100,000 of the £300,000 to £500,000 asking price, allowing the charity to halt the planned auction and bring the land back under its management.GoogleUpton Heath is home to rare species including sand lizards and Dartford warblersBleese said: "It's a manmade habitat, created by human intervention over thousands of years. "If it's left, it tends to scrub over, the heather becomes long and not good for wildlife, sandy patches will scrub over."It's also important to manage fire breaks to prevent the spread of wildfires and getting on top of scrub encroachment like pine trees."All of that improves the quality of the habitat."Volunteers have been key to managing the wider heath, cutting gorse and heather in winter and removing pines."There's also a big litter problem," said Ble...