Ecology and Conservation 

The management of Peartree Green LNR follows a Management Plan agreed in 2017 to ensure that the site meets the requirements of a Local Nature Reserve as specified by Natural England. The Aim of the Management Plan is "to maintain the current variety of habitats whilst achieving a more appropriate balance between the grassland, scrub and trees and to enhance access to and enjoyment of the site by all". The Management Plan recognises that there are rare, locally valued species and habitats which local residents and users wish to protect, and sets out four Objectives to achieve this:

• To undertake conservation management work to maintain and enhance the conservation value of the site.

• To undertake regular monitoring of flora and fauna to assess the effectiveness of management work.

• To maintain and enhance the footpath network to provide access for informal recreation, including for people with limited mobility.

• To promote awareness of the wildlife value of the site to the wider public and encourage its use as an educational facility for children and adults of all ages.

The history and management of Peartree Green has allowed some plants and insects that are rarely seen in other areas of the city to thrive. Peartree Green is unique in its areas of chalky soils, which have developed on chalk brought in during motorway construction within the past 50 years. Some of this chalk came from the Mansbridge area during construction of the M27 between 1978 to 1982, the chalk being used to cover the bottom of the Green which had been a landfill site in the 1960s. Further chalk from the Twyford area was brought in when the final section of the M3 was built in the 1990s, and this forms the chalky bottom and banks of the Green (reflected in the name of our Twyford Path). Some chalk is also thought to have existed on the Peartree Green site more than 50 years ago, from railway works and the capping of a former tip. Together, these chalk deposits contribute to a unique mix of habitats, with both calcareous and acid types of grassland being present in the Nature Reserve, as well as scrub, woodland and wetland areas. Species that can be found at Peartree Green include pyramidal orchid, bee orchid, marbled white butterfly and more recently white letter hairstreak butterfly. 

In 1992 the Southampton Wildlife Link report “The Natural History of Peartree Green” recorded 59 species of bird present, including whitethroat, lesser whitethroat, meadow pipit, greenfinch, fieldfare, redwing, kestrel and sparrowhawk. Linnets did breed here, but it is believed their nesting site was destroyed in the fire of 2013. Skylarks are regularly seen and occasionally rare species such as wryneck have been encountered. 

Environmental education is an important activity at Peartree Green. The Friends of Peartree Green currently run a number of educational activities which are designed for both adults and children and are suitable for individuals with disabilities. These activities include tree, flower, and insect walks; special interest walks including moss and lichen identification; a fungus foray; and a dawn chorus walk. We are also aiming to reinstate butterfly transects and small mammal surveys in 2024. It is likely that the biodiversity of Peartree Green Local Nature Reserve is under-recorded as surveys rely on volunteers, and so our walks, bioblitz events and surveys often find species which are new to the site list. 

As well as supporting beneficial species and biodiversity in general, the Management Plan aims to ensure that the delicate mix of habitats is preserved. The Friends of Peartree Green therefore organise regular conservation voluntering work parties to protect grasslands and paths from encroachment by scrub such as brambles and gorse. Invasive species, including Japanese knotweed, are also kept under control as much as possible.