Saturday’s visit on March 25th marked the point when from this day forward, days are longer than nights. What wonders will we see as the season develops?
This visit was with a colleague with expertise in freshwater habitats, and knowledge of alkaline fens. The stream that runs along part of the Copse boundary was flowing well – but with dull brown water, probably including road run-off and possibly agricultural contaminants. We talked about how the stream, if flowing fast and strong for a prolonged period, could negatively impact the alkaline fen on the adjoining land. We could address this by building a couple of small dams along the path of the stream, building them with fallen wood – of which we have plenty. What a shame we are not large enough to accommodate a pair of Beavers!
We want to leave the wood as it is for 12 months, so that we discover our inhabitants and visitors, and so we will reflect on this. If we decide to go ahead and dam the stream, this could be a great opportunity for volunteers to come and join us in making it happen.
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