It’s proved to be very busy with work parties to which lots of volunteers have come along to support our work.

During 8 work parties 39 volunteers spent 293 hours helping us to move willow from wet areas, which had been cut by contractors. This material was then used to build dead hedges. If the cut material had been left in the wet areas it would root and regrow in a large tangle, making following years of scrub cutting very difficult.

The dead hedges have been built across gaps near the bottom of the barge canal path; this creates a protective barrier for the sensitive reedbed habitat. The dead hedges also create wonderful habitats for many birds and invertebrates.

Moving the willow has been incredibly challenging, but the volunteers have worked as hard as they possibly could. Getting to the willow involved walking through muddy water that nearly breached wellies. Fortunately out determined volunteers didn’t let this put them off and carried on regardless of how muddy they got.

Thank you to all those who came and volunteered on these work parties and helped put us in a great place for future habitat management.