Meet the four-legged friend helping to support wildlife on a Cornish moor

A project to introduce native broadleaf trees to support wildlife around Bodmin Moor is being supported by a horse called Jackson.

It is being coordinated by South West Water, which isworking at Park Pit.

Non-native trees are being removed and replaced with oak, hazel and rowan.

All of this is being helped by Jackson, a 17-year-old shire horse.

Jackson offers an alternative to heavy machinery, which can often damage existing vegetation.

His role is to remove and relocate trees at the site.

Partnered with specialist firm Wild Arborist Horse Logging, Jackson operates in shifts that last no more than two hours, maintaining his welfare, safety and happiness as top priorities.

Biodiversity action officer at South West Water, Hannah Bailey, said: "Using horses in this way offers many benefits over machinery.

"They have a low environmental impact and their lighter footprint helps to preserve ecosystems."

She further stressed that horses navigate through dense forests with less damage compared to heavy machinery, making them "the perfect fit for our biodiversity works at Park Pit."

Toby Lawler, from Wild Arborist Horse Logging, said: "It's a privilege to continue this traditional practice, and our aim is to showcase the commercial viability of blending both horse and machine power."

He went on to thank South West Water for giving them the opportunity to use their specialised skills for the Park Pit project.

The project has until now resulted in over 3,000 new trees planted.

South West Water is exploring further opportunities to employ horse power in its facilities to mitigate the environmental impact of machinery.