 |
| Plenty of watery places proposed for what is currently agricultural land |
A NEW kind of nature reserve is on the cards for Lincolnshire.
The venture envisaged by the county's wildlife trust is also described as a "wetland ecosystem pilot project".
If it goes ahead, it will occupy some 50-plus hectares of agricultural land on the outskirts of Bourne in the south of the county.
Partners in the proposed Bourne North Fen Nature Reserve include consultant Mark Tarttelin, of Wild Planet Associates, the Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board, the Fens East Peat Partnership and the Environment Agency.
The stated aims are to:
* Provide a series of biodiversity rich, shallow multi-purpose lagoons and reedbeds
* Restore carbon-capture peatland soils
* Improve water quality for wildlife, farming and public supplies
* Improve flood risk management
* Increase the resilience of local wildlife, communities and business to climate change
* Explore opportunities for paludiculture - wetland farming.
The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust states: "At present, this is an agricultural site with agri-environment stock grazing and arable land use in approximately equal amount.
"The proposal is to use this site to work with drainage authorities and farmers in exploring working wetland landscapes and novel crops such as reeds, water farming and specialist grazing."
In a note on the birdlife, the LWT says the following species breed around the site's existing clay pits: Reed Bunting, Reed and Sedge Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Mute Swan, Grey Lag Goose, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Little Grebe, Kestrel and Jackdaw.
"There have been breeding lapwing and oystercatcher in past wet years.
"Other possible and potential breeders include Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Cuckoo, Heron and Cormorant."
 |
| Wildlife Trust hopes to welcome cuckoos to proposed new reserve |
"Of other fauna, bats may use the boxes provided on lager waterside trees around the pits and come from nearby houses.
"There are two main badger sets and several outlying set areas in a raised spoil area on the edge of a clay pit and in an old house foundation.
"Rabbits, hares and roe deer are frequently seen on both the arable and grassland areas, while water voles frequent at least one of the dykes."
Assuming the proposal is granted planning consent from South Kesteven District Council and proceeds, there is unlikely - at least in the early years - for there to be access for birders or other interested members of the public.
Says the LWT: "The site is not open to the public, although small numbers of visitors, accompanied by a warden or LWT employee/volunteer, will regularly visit to study the reserve, observe development progress, check stock and conduct routine site management."
 |
| The farmland earmarked for the new wetland reserve |
No comments:
Post a Comment