The sand dunes at Penhale near Perranporth Cornwall are nationally and internationally important for their diverse coastal habitats. They are one of the largest dune systems in southwest England. Military earth movers attacking the precious landscape are disturbing to the casual observer. However, this work is to enhance rather than harm. Because the area is a restricted MOD training ground it has escaped development. The area is designated nationally as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and internationally as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Penhale is home to a wide variety of wildlife, much of it rare, dunes need to be free to move to support their resident wildlife and provide them with safe homes. Areas of naturally shifting mobile sand are essential to healthy and diverse ecosystems. Many burrowing insects require bare sand as part of their life cycle.  
Sadly, many dunes have become too stable and overgrown with dense vegetation. Dunes are now one of Europe's most threatened habitats for biodiversity. The percentage of precious bare and mobile sand at Penhale Dunes has dramatically reduced over recent decades. It is estimated that around 50% of Penhale Dunes comprised bare sand habitats in the 1940s; this has now reduced to less than 2%.  
A variety of reasons have led to this change, including a lack of large grazing animals eating dune plants and air pollution creating higher levels of nitrogen deposition which increases soil fertility, leading to increased plant growth and the spread of invasive plants.  However, Cornwall Wildlife Trust is working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, balancing military needs with ecological conservation work.  
Lt Col Andy Westcott (Retd), Training Safety Officer for Cornwall Defence Infrastructure Organisation said: 
“We are extremely proud to work with Cornwall Wildlife Trust on the Dynamic Dunescapes project. As custodians of this fantastic dune system, it’s great to see this management work happening to improve its condition and suitability for sand-loving wildlife.
Utilising earth-moving machinery to clear areas back to sand dunes, as part of a project to help restore natural dynamic processes and support the area’s wildlife.  
Penhale is one of the largest dune systems in Cornwall, spanning 620 hectares (1,532 acres). With dunes listed as the habitat most at risk in Europe for biodiversity loss, it’s an incredibly important area to protect for nature. These works will rejuvenate this area of mobile dunes, helping the many species that make use of open areas of bare sand. 
Jon Cripps, Penhale Dunes Ranger at Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: 
“The work will look quite dramatic as it’s unusual to see big diggers on the dunes, shifting loads of sand. However, this short-term disruption should create long-term benefits for dune-adapted wildlife.  
“We’ll create open spaces for plants like Sea Holly and Sea Rocket to colonize and lots of warm sandy niches for the various insects that burrow into sand, such as the tiny silvery leaf-cutter bee, and the predatory bee-wolf wasp! We hope the scale of the work will allow the wind to whistle through the dunes and keep these areas mobile, dynamic and diverse for many years to come.”