Frilford Heath Golf Club, 21st October 2017

By Andrew -
We met in the car park at Frilford Golf Club and then headed off to park by the green keepers buildings from where we made our way, looking out for flying golf balls, to Boundary House Fen. Here, our task was to rake up cut reeds from the fen under the direction of pond and freshwater habitats expert, Rod d’Ayala.

 This is an alkaline fen, home to a number of rare species of flora and fauna and it is important to cut and rake the reeds every year. Rod had spent some time damming a ditch that runs through the middle of the fen. This will help to prevent the fen from drying out.

We set to work raking the reeds and Rod told us that, as well as transporting the reeds to designated places on the very edge of the fen, we could rake them into the ditch. We enjoyed doing this as it was easier than carrying heavy loads of wet reeds to heaps on the edge and some of us were brave enough to step on top of the reeds and see how far up our wellies the water came and whether more needed to be piled into the ditch.

After a break for tea and coffee, when we used Rod’s wheelbarrow to hold the mugs in the absence of a table, we carried on with our work. The weather stayed fine, though it did cloud over briefly. We will be back again in early December to rake the other half of the fen.
-Eleanor


Photos by Eleanor unless otherwise stated:

Work commences.

Lesley rakes.

Getting stuck in.

Matt with a pitchfork.

A welcome break!

Some bracket fungi.

Carolyn and Kevin on beverage duty. (photo by Margaret)

The fen at the end of the session. (photo by Sally)

Another view of showing the morning's progress. (photo by Sally)

Looking towards the Boundary House just before departure. (photo by Sally)


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