This World Wetlands Day, we take a closer look at what’s happening on our sites. Our Head of Biodiversity, Lindsay Mackinlay, gives us the latest news on our wetland restoration projects.

New scrapes and ponds 

‘Our new scrapes at Carston and new ponds at Mill of Plunton have attracted lots of new wildlife already, including small groups of teal and hunting grey heron at Carston, and colonisation of new ponds at Mill of Plunton by great crested newts and Emperor dragonfly, both of which now breed in the ponds.’

Scrapes are shallow ponds, less than 1m in depth, which hold rain or flood water seasonally but stay damp for most of the year. We’re delighted that these new scrapes have become inhabited so quickly, and also that great crested newts – a European protected species – have moved into our ponds.

 

Restoring pollinators

Lindsay says, ‘We have also planted out some wildflowers, including common valerian and ragged robin, on some of our wetland meadow areas to attract pollinating insects, such as at Leadloch and Dumyat.’

The worrying decline in pollinating insect populations in Britain is in large part down to the loss of suitable habitat. Replanting wetland meadows on our sites is a step towards restoring these populations and the ecosystems that depend on them.

Protecting bird populations

Our wetland restoration work is also having a positive impact on bird populations. As Lindsay says, ‘We continue to safeguard the internationally important wetlands that sit at the edge of our Brawlbin site and which attract hundreds of birds, including golden plover, lapwings and whooper swans.’

We’re maintaining around 170ha of wetland at Brawlbin, with 41 breeding bird species recorded.

Partner with us today to support our vital wetland restoration work!