It is a constant battle to try to retain open areas of water on the marsh. Over the years more and more organic matter has accumulated on the surface of the old settling tanks that have become Bell Lake Marsh, and with that have come colonising plants and shrubs that add to this gentle encroachment until suddenly you look round and all you can see is willow, gorse, reedmace and sedge. One of the hardest (but perhaps most rewarding) tasks we undertake is clearing all the growth and digging out the organic layer to reach the sediments below, creating scrapes, shallow water loved by dragonflies, damselflies, newts, frogs, toads, leaches, and countless other creatures. Below are a few pictures of our latest scrape under construction!
0 Comments
|