Above is the final result, from one angle, of the volunteer event from Sunday 11 September at Coldstream Marsh, and from another angle below. As you can see, the alder and sallow saplings have all been cut down (the remaining ones can be seen in the middle background in the photo below).
It was an excellent start to the volunteer events programme for 2011/12 as well as being quite a warm and beautiful day, many worked in just in a t-shirt!
The Coldstream Marsh area has undergone ‘scraping’ leading to plants such as the Skullcap (with the small, violet-coloured trumpets) and the Lesser Spearwort (yellow) starting to grow again (see picture below, click to enlarge). The latter is a member of the Ranunculus (Buttercup) family, which is why it looks very much like a buttercup.
For more information, see the post by Louise Greenwood, the Pond’s new Ranger:
East Marsh and Coldstream Marsh were becoming encroached by scrub and trees from the surrounding woodland; this was creating shade and drawing up water from the wetland areas, creating too dry an area for the important plants to grow. The trees were cut down and the timber sold locally as firewood. The scrub was removed with a machine and mulched. The chippings from this were then scraped into piles on the woodland edge. These spoil piles will soon be covered with vegetation themselves, creating important habitats for small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates.
It’s not all work though, there’s always time for mid-morning coffee…
If you would like to join us in future events (the next one is Sunday 9 October) please take a look here. We look forward to seeing you!