Cothill Fen - Saturday 6th September 2025

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 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio and Michele

This Saturday we were at Cothill Fen, supervised by Steph from Natural England. We usually work on the fen itself, but this time we would be working in the woodland behind the fen, on the eastern side. We made our way along the board walk, which was the easy bit, then we turned into the woodland, which was quite wet and muddy, climbed over a fallen tree trunk and arrived at the area where we would be working.

The task was to cut back the trees, mostly hazel and hawthorn, to make semi circular glades alongside the path. This would let sunlight in, to encourage wild flowers and insects on the edge of the wood. We had to pile the branches into the wet ditch on the other side of the path. This would help to wet the woodland. It is important to have a border of wet woodland surrounding a fen. Also, we needed to do the work before the area became too wet and muddy in the Autumn and Winter. 


The woodland before


A couple of people went back to move a heap of cut vegetation from the fen that Steph had pointed out on the way, and the rest of us set to work.

Steph and Kevin tackle a tree trunk




Graham, Adrian and Carolyn at work




Cutting down a big tree



Cutting up the trunk



Kevin cutting small branches





More work


It was time for the break. However, Kevin, Carolyn and I had to leave for the Healthfest in Abingdon Town Centre, where I was manning the Green Gym stall and Kevin and Carolyn, the Good Neighbours stall, so we missed the biscuits.

Tea break in the sunshine







The work continued after the break.

Dieuwke adds to last log to the pile in the ditch











After shot. one of the glades, letting sunlight in.



There were a large number of ladybirds around, but here is a harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis), an invasive species which can outcompete native ladybirds.

Harlequin ladybird


There were also some interesting fungi:

Jelly ear





King Alfred's cakes or Cramp Balls





Birch polypore



Here is a photo of the Green Gym stall at the Healthfest, taken by Kevin:


 

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