Wildlife
A wealth of wildlife is found within the Shropshire Hills.
On the hill tops heather, grasses and bracken flourish. Look out for the sparkling yellow flowers of bog asphodel, the delicate cotton grass and marsh violets which nestle alongside them.
These upland areas are home to a variety of birds including red grouse, curlew, skylark and meadow pipit. Buzzard, raven and the occasional red kite can be seen soaring above the hills. Sheep grazing, harvesting and burning maintains this diversity.
The valleys and hillsides are a patchwork of small fields where you can still find wildflower meadows. Wood warbler, pied flycatcher and redstart may be seen in the summer. Again, careful management ensures healthy habitats for a multitude of flowering plants, mosses, fungi, lichens, innumerable butterflies, moths and other insects.
Trees are another important feature of the Shropshire Hills. The area is a stronghold of the black poplar, one of our rarest native trees. A large number of veteran trees have been recorded in the area, providing ideal habitats for many rare and specialised invertebrates. Many of the rivers and streams are lined with alder and willow, which was traditionally coppiced for timber clog soles, firewood and charcoal gunpowder.