Maintenance and Upkeep

Maintenance of The Lizard needs to take into account the needs of the residents, and visitors, alongside the requirements of The County Wildlife Site Status.

The aim is to keep grass trimmed alongside the pavement and road edges, and to keep access paths mowed on the meadows.

The orchard area (between no 57a and the willow tree) is managed as a spring meadow: the grass will be left uncut until late June, allowing any plants to flower and set seed, and then strimmed, with the cuttings raked up into piles placed amongst the trees to the north and left to decompose. This will prevent the build up of vegetation on the meadow, which stifles wild flowers and favours stronger growing grasses.

The area to the east of the willow tree and the 9 acres, through the black gate, are both part of the County Wildlife Site, are cut by tractor once a year, in late August/early September. The grass is left to dry, then bailed, and removed as hay. This conservation management plan follows advice from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

Volunteers

The Lizard Charity pays contractors to manage various areas of land, but along The Lizard, some residents like to mow and care for the areas in front of their own houses.

There is also a group of Lizard Volunteers, who tackle specific projects throughout the year: during the spring and summer months there are always paths and areas to be mowed, strimmed and raked; trees and hedges to be cared for; and even litter-picking. You can join our Lizard Volunteers FB group to find out more too.

These volunteer sessions are generally held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, at 10.00 am, however we have only a small number of helpers and would love more help, so if you’re interested, please contact us for more information.