WILD WORK DAY 2.0
A few Fridays back, a bunch of volunteers from FILL headed out to Nene Wetlands Nature Reserve with a crack crew of conservation rangers from The Wildlife Trust Beds, Cambs and Northants. Time for another one of those Wild Work Days!
We couldn’t wait to shut laptops, get back into boots & workwear and go outside, to learn more about local wildlife and take part in WTBCN’s efforts to manage, protect and improve habitats on the reserve. Watch the video here.
The late summer sun was blazing, already hitting a shvitzing 29 degrees by mid-morning. Helen had brought the shorts, but the rest of us, decked out in denim, sweaters & boots – were set to sizzle! Last time around we’d been bundled up, lopping blackthorn through puffs of frosty breath on a crisp winter day. Back then we’d huddled around a campfire to warm our frozen toes at lunch. This was a chance to feel the real contrast of the changing seasons and get to know more of the kind of work that WTBCN gets on with all year round.
James, Lara, and Holly shepherded us through the sunlit grass, the black shade of the woodlands and the cool shimmering pools, pointing out the different types of habitat they’re working to maintain and picking out a few of the newest projects they’re working on. We heard about the challenges of flooding, the changing patterns of migrating birds because of climate change AND the eagerly awaited reintroduction of a fresh family of beavers!
The fences are up, the woodland is ready and before the end of the year, beavers will be back in Northamptonshire for the first time in 400 years! They’ll be getting busy with reedbed restoration & creating new wetland habitats that’ll help other species too. We love the idea that they’ll be living down the road from FILLVILLE and can’t wait to be neighbours. Go beavs!
James & Lara (both FILL SEEKERS!) were great guides, sharing their passion for wildlife conservation and dropping cool stories to get us knowing how to read the landscape and sharing facts about all the life that this habitat supports. As we weaved our way through the woods, we heard about the rapid gestation period of Muntjac Deer, we got to hold an abandoned spherical Dormouse nest and we learned how to tell the difference between Water Voles and Rats (it’s in the nose).
RAKING HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES
After a few clicks we found ourselves in a clearing on a small peninsula, looking out on some open water. This is the spot. The shoreline was thickly strewn with cut rushes, reeds & tall grasses. We gathered for a short briefing, got issued with wooden rakes and pitch forks and headed out. The plan was to make this a safe space for wintering species. Time to get to work, raking hay while the sun shines! We piled the grass into windrows and pitched it into a huge stack using the forks. As it turns out, raking hay can be hard work if you really put your back into it.
It sure was satisfying and soon after high noon we’d put a serious dent in the task, working together to rake, gather, pile and pitch the hay. At lunch time we stood around a box of iced buns fresh from the counter Market Square Bakery, whilst leaning on the wooden shafts of our pitchforks like seasoned haymakers, mopping sweat from our brows & smiling.
After lunch we made even more progress with the rakes & eventually cleared the whole area. We left feeling good, with a t-shirt tan and our faces flushed. Thanks again for a cool day. We’ll be back.
Wildlife Trust
The Nene Wetlands is a special place for us, just a few miles down the road from FILLVILLE. We’re happy that through doing what we do, in collaboration with a whole bunch of FILL SEEKERS, stockists & conscious business around the UK, we get to support the work of the Wildlife Trust BCN through our membership of 1% For The Planet.
We’re looking forward to seeing what cool stuff WTBCN will be doing next & we’re eager to spot the new native beavers, to see how they settle in after 400 years away!
If you want to support The WTBCN directly, you can visit www.wildlifebcn.org or find your local trust here.
Want more?
Read our last Wildlife Trust Wild Work Day blog post here.
