Malvern Hills Trust Invests in New Robocut Machine to Tackle Challenging Terrain
The Malvern Hills Trust has taken delivery of its own Robocut machine, marking a significant investment in the future management of the iconic landscape.
Robocuts are remote-controlled machines designed to carry out a range of land management tasks, including controlling scrub and bracken growth. Their sure-footed design and manoeuvrability make them particularly well suited to the steep and often difficult terrain found across the Malvern Hills.
The Trust has relied on hired Robocut machines for a number of years to support its conservation work. However, thanks to grant funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), secured through the Malvern Hills National Landscape programme, the organisation has now been able to purchase its own machine.
Owning the equipment is expected to deliver substantial long-term savings while allowing the Trust greater flexibility in planning and carrying out essential habitat management work.
The machine recently completed its maiden outing on the hills, with staff putting it through its paces on the slopes where it will play a key role in maintaining open habitats and controlling invasive vegetation.
Images released by the Trust show the Robocut in action during its first day of work, demonstrating how the specialist machinery can safely and efficiently operate in areas that are challenging for conventional equipment.
The investment is expected to strengthen the Trust’s ability to care for the nationally important landscape while improving the efficiency of its conservation operations for years to come.
