Blog by Sally. Photos by Julio, Roger and Sally.
On a dreich Saturday morning, we returned to Frilford Heath Golf Course for our session at Boundary House Fen. The volunteers parked in the old Greenkeepers' compound, and then made our way to the Fen where we met Roger, our leader for the session with the tools, and consultant ecologist, Rod d'Ayala. There were 16 Green Gymmers afforced by Rod and two of his contractors, Steve and Sam.
Boundary House Fen is a calcareous, or alkaline fen, which means that the spring water that feeds it percolates through a layer of chalk, thereby making it less acidic than normal fens. They support a suite of plants (and insects) that prefer these alkaline conditions and are a very rare habitat so it is important that we protect them from pollution and material changes due to mineral extraction or developments in the catchment area in order to allow them to thrive. They are also marvellous carbon stores so it's very important to keep them wet to prevent carbon from being released into the atomosphere.
Our main tasks were to carry on with the autumn cut and rake of the tall vegetation and to collect and spread marsh lousewort seed and the contents of the bag of marsh lousewort and Devil's Bit Scabious seeds that had been collected from Two Pines Fen in the midweek session held earlier that week.
Rod briefs the group
We set to work on the far side of the Fen, nearest to Two Pines Fen
Rod oversees collection of Marsh Lousewort and the scything and raking
Julio and Rhian collecting Marsh Lousewort. This is an ecosystem engineer - it acts in a similar way on common reed as yellow rattle does on rye grass, by suppressing its growth through sucking up the sugars from the reed's roots.
It's all hands on deck - the rush was difficult to cut as it was lying every which way which made it tricky for the scythers to get their blades under it, but we did!
Whilst working, we disturbed a field vole and made sure that there was some cover for it.
It was great to see how good the Fen was looking with lots of shallow pools forming (see foreground in photo above). These will be home to invertebrates such as the larvae of soldier flies, which Judy Webb found the last time we were here. Each time we visit, we find something of interest to see.
A very welcome break
Rod and Steve trampling down the arisings along the stream
Working under the trees, we were told to scythe everything including the pretty wavy grass. It will grow back but in the meantime lets light in
Adrian and David scything, whilst Simon rakes up.
Steve trampling down the cut vegetation as scything and raking continues behind him with an ever decreasing patch of vegetation being scythed by Barbara, Jim and Sally
Kevin and Carol finish off raking this area, nearest the fairway. We found lots of golf balls which we put onto the fairway and hoped that we did not confuse the golfers as the hole was in play.
After our ministrations - marsh lousewort having been spread and trampled in
Fly Agaric going over. A favourite for reindeer as well as being the classic toadstool of fairy tales.
More fungi!
If Google ID is to be believed, this is a Spectacular Rustgill (Gymnopilus junonius)
Poisonpie - Hebeloma spp - which someone found tasty judging by the nibble marks.
Given its common name, we declined to give it a try!
It was good to be able to finish the areas we'd started working on. Rod was pleased with the progress made and thanked us all for our efforts, as we packed up the tools and took them to Roger's car. We look forward to returning to the Fen in early December to continue the good work in its restoration.
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