Guest blog by Ally Hoadley, Minsmere volunteer
Last Thursday I took part in my first Community Work Party at Minsmere. They are organised for the last Thursday of every month and are open to everyone to take part in, whether you want to be a regular volunteer or can only spare part of a day. It’s a great way to get to see different parts of the reserve, not normally open to the public and be a part of and learn about the habitat management that makes Minsmere the wonderful home for nature that it is!
This time we were raking and burning reeds around the East and South Scrape, clearing room for the new Scrape fence that we hope to install this winter. Reeds need to be cut down and cleared anyway, to ensure they remain a wetland habitat for the species that rely on them, like bitterns and bearded tits: if they are not managed the dead reeds will eventually accumulate, thereby drying out the reedbed which would ultimately become woodland. So the cutting and burning of the Phragmites reeds is not an unusual seasonal sight at Minsmere from late summer until early winter!
It was fascinating being so close to the Scrape – a male bearded tit flew pinging over our heads, and it was the first time in my life a dragonfly has had a rest on my head! In among the reeds one of our volunteers found a reed warbler’s nest from the last breeding season. They will build a new one each year, and it always blows me away how a bird can weave a home strong enough to raise its family using just its beak!
The other great part of Community Work Parties is the coming together with people who are so passionate about conserving and protecting the natural environment: I had a wonderful day not only with the wildlife, but also having a laugh with volunteers and staff I previously had not known so well, and I’m already looking forward to the next one.