Locals to Marazion Marsh may have noticed strange goings on at the reserve during January. Our annual reed bed management has been taking place courtesy of our Warden Jenny Parker, our team of dedicated volunteers, John Watts from Wales-based contractor ‘Aquaclear’ and his amazing Truxor aquatic reed cutter.
This magnificent beast delicately cuts the reed bed and clears water channels within the marsh freeing up access for fish and other amphibians which form the diet of many of our migrant visitors and resident birds. Reed cutting is traditionally undertaken to slow or reverse the natural succession to scrub and woodland and at the same time stimulate the production of new reed. This provides ideal conditions for wildlife through the creation of structure, including open, wet habitat, pools, glades and reedy edges.
Of course after the Truxor has finished, we are left with a mountain of dead reeds around the perimeter of the marsh which then need to be disposed of. In the past we have had Thatchers visit to take the reed away and have advertised locally for anyone interested in collecting or using the material. Unfortunately these days nobody appears to want the reed so we have to pile it up into stooks for burning.
If you are interested in the reed or have any ideas how we could utilise it in the future, please post on this site, contact the reserve office on 01736 360624 or email us on Marazion.marsh@rspb.org.uk.
Truxor photos by kind permission of Alan James
Marazion Marsh Reedbed Photos Dave Flumm