Watch Steve's presentation on the Red River Valley:
0 Comments
Great Wheal Seton is perhaps the most important site along the Red River Valley Local Nature Reserve. Thanks to the legacy of its Tin Streaming past it has evolved into a rich mosaic of wetland habitats which support a diverse range of dragonflies & damselflies, including nationally significant populations of Small Red and Scarce Blue-tailed Damselflies. The Red River Rescuers have worked hard to keep this vital reservoir of species in good condition with regular scrub bashing sessions to manage the habitat, and field trips to monitor populations and introduce the unique tin streaming flora & fauna to new audiences. However, this wetland gem has harboured a problem for all the 45+ years that I have known it as a key dragonfly site. The northern end of the complex has always been really difficult to access unless you are happy with the prospect of clambering up on to a narrow section of wall that has a 2 metre drop to the Red River on one side and a 1.5 metre drop down to a deep section of pool on the other. It was off putting to many volunteers & visitors, and obviously had safety implications for the mid-section of the site. So during a visit to Great Wheal Seton in the summer of 2022 I was chatting with Ben Clitherow, a really supportive and helpful member of the team at Cornish Metals and he suggested that if ever we had a small project that needed some manpower along the LNR, Cornish Metals would be more than happy to come along and provide some muscle. I immediately suggested constructing a stone walkway across the section of pool, at the base of the wall, that was at the root of our access problems. My idea was to collect stone from the scree slope that overlooks the site and use it as hardcore for a walkway. Ben jumped at the idea and when all the stars finally aligned at the beginning of 2024 we jumped into action. During our January scrub bashing session our Red River Rescuers volunteers cleared the pathways to give wheelbarrow access to the supply of stones that we needed to transport across the width of the site. Once that was done, I met Gavin Henderson, the CORMAC Countryside Ranger, on site in late January to talk through the proposal and get permission to carry out the work. Gavin was very supportive and gave us his seal of approval for the work, so I set a date with Ben, and on a sunny 7th March 2024, Jo Poland & I joined 9 volunteers from Cornish Metals at the reserve for a taste of heavy rock redistribution. We split our team into two, with Ben & Jo heading a group on the higher level collecting the rock and another team feeding me with stone at the lower level as the new walkway inched it’s way across the edge of the pool. It wasn’t long before I had two wellies full of water, which if nothing else, proved the need for a walkway!
Larger rocks were used to gain a foothold in the tailings at the bottom of the pool and medium sized rocks were used to key in those larger rocks, while adding height. Finally that was topped off with smaller gravel size stones that just broke the surface of the winter water levels. In a little under 4 hours, it was job done! A one-metre-wide path already to go for the summer ahead! No more climbing along the wall! It was another great day on the reserve, especially when the Cornish Metals crew wheeled out the pasties at lunchtime! What could be better than enjoying our national dish, carrying out a very Cornish activity, in an iconic Cornish landscape! This was such a brilliant little project that will make a big difference to the way people will safely access the site, and all with virtually no visual impact on the site & habitat. I would like to say a massive thank you to Ben Clitherow and the team from Cornish Metals: Jodie Bawden (geologist), Chris Salway (geologist), Liana Dunstone (ESG Manager), Ross Carter (accountant), Lauren Beveridge (resource geologist), Andy Pix (mining engineer), and Pete Mogridge (geologist). We were also lucky to have Maddie Bawden photographing our work party as part of her photography course. The whole team were so enthusiastic & friendly and such a great group to work with, a real credit to Cornish Metals. Ben in particular has been such a great friend to the Red River Rescuers and made sure that our idea became a reality despite some major challenges along the way. I should also mention Lynn Jones who, as always came along and helped me with some clearance work a few days before construction day. I hope to see you all there in July for the BDS Meeting when “Ben’s Walkway” will be put through it’s paces! Steve Jones, 15th March 2024 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! Our newest site, Kieve Mill 2 was an important site for dragonflies back in the 1970's and 80's, but had become completely overgrown with willow and gorse, which had greatly reduced the diversity of species at the site. Our work at the end of last season and this year has transformed the area back to a much more open and accessible space, with water again visible in several places which we hope will soon be recolonised by a large variety of insects and other wildlife, we look forward to the summer visits here with great anticipation! Some photos by Steve Jones and Anne Green from the January day onsite are below :- Our new site recorder Laura gives us an insight into the diversity of life we are starting to uncover with all the extra attention our primary site is receiving! "2013 was a fantastic year for wildlife recording at Bell Lake Marsh. Together we totalled over 160 individual records, including 49 species/genera never before recorded on the site! Some of the year’s highlights: • The impressive spider Araneus angulatus, a British rarity (see photo), was recorded here for the first time in nearly 30 years. • Among the many dragonflies making their home here, the Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum made an appearance this year, bringing the total species of dragonfly to 18. • The new scrape has already been colonised by a huge variety of species – frogs, newts, diving beetles, caddisflies and many types of water bug. • Almost immediately after creating south-facing banks from the excess earth after digging out the scrape, we were pleased to see the Field Digger Wasp Mellinus arvensis making excellent use of the soft, bare soil for its burrows. 2014 is sure to be as remarkable as the last, with possible plans for a Bioblitz in the summer. After all of our conservation work that has gone on over the past year, we may be in for a few surprises, so keep your eyes peeled and let us know about your sightings either on our Facebook Group Page or by email to [email protected]. The species list is growing, but there are still many gaps in our knowledge so lend us your expertise – whatever your interest, from flowers to fungi, birds to bryophytes, it would be great to hear from you!" Laura |