Five Rivers has extensive experience in the restoration, re-creation and management of lowland heathland habitats, with significant improvements in areas of Southern England.

Restoration works include repairs to eroded soils and the encouragement of natural re-colonization of vegetation, usually using harvested heather as a structure for creating a microclimate and as the source of seed. Repairs to redress historic actions such as the draining of lowland valley mires are carried out by infilling drains and headward erosion with plugs of baled heather.

Re-creation of heathland from other land uses, often conifer plantation, involves different techniques for dealing with the stumps and litter build up. Techniques depend upon the specific soils, topography and the ultimate management of the site.

Management works include the removal of self-sown pine and birch or swiping of gorse. Pine has to be felled and either burned on site or chipped. A balance has to be struck in terms of costs and benefits: in some cases a whole-tree chipper is used and the chips removed from site.