What we're doing on World Wetlands Day

Today was the first time we've road tested our new and improved pump, and what a timely day to do it on. It is World Wetlands Day, a day to acknowledge and celebrate all that wetlands have to offer around the globe. Here at Frampton and Freiston our wetlands provide many benefits for wildlife, but our our saltmarsh and realignment are also important to the local communities as they help protect the coastline against the force of the sea. 

The reserves here will provide an important habitat not only now but in the future as our wetlands have to adapt to climate change. With all the rain we've been having our wet grassland is as wet as it's ever been which is why we've got the pump out.

  
Pump opposite 360 Hide

We've been doing lots of levelling and tweaking to get the water levels right and now they are we can start put our knowledge of the site to good use. Marsh Farm is getting a little too wet so we need to try and lower the levels. Rather than open some sluices and let it run off site, we are closing sluices and filling some ditches. This gives us a good body of water to recycle. We are filling the scrapes (which we would usually do with water from the reedbed) to flood out the islands and suppress vegetation. This also give us a large volume of water that we can use in the Spring and Summer to put back on the grassland.

 
Filling Middle Scrape

So if you come and see us in the next few weeks and see out big blue pump out on site you can be rest assured that it's doing an excellent job. If any of you came to see the broad-billed sandpiper or red-necked phalarope in the Spring last year, you've got this fella to thank for it. We have a pretty good handle on our scrape management, so when they are filled and the essential work is done, we might be able to have a play and create some more ideal conditions on the grassland.   

And as we're celebrating our wetlands and how good they are for wildlife, here are a few videos showing the results of the management here at Frampton.

 
Middle Scrape brimming with birds

 
Dark-bellied brent geese fly past

 
Golden plover coming in to roost outside 360 Hide

If you have any questions about our wetland management or want to know a little more then please get in touch and we'll hopefully have some answers for you.