Virtual fence collars are GPS-enabled devices worn by cattle that allow land managers to control where their animals graze without the need for fences. This technology opens up previously inaccessible grazing areas without the expense and maintenance of traditional fencing.
Cattle grazing is a key tool in conserving important wildlife habitats. As cattle graze, they remove coarse vegetation that competes with wildflowers, whilst spreading seeds and creating bare patches where new plants can establish. This allows a variety of plant species to flourish, which provides nectar sources for pollinators, which in turn attracts birdlife.
Through Species on the Edge, we have funded and supported the use of 106 virtual fence collars across the Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides and Shetland. Learn more about virtual fence collars and hear from one of the crofters we have been working with, Laura, in this online talk with The Scottish Crofting Federation.
