Warden Update
Long stretches of hedges were planted when Steart Marshes was developed into a nature reserve. These hedges are getting to the right size and maturity for us to start laying them, taking up a lot of time for the volunteers and staff this autumn and winter. The practice of laying hedges has been done for hundreds of years and stops the hedge becoming leggy and hollow. Instead it creates a dense thick barrier, great for nesting and feeding birds.
In autumn we complete a water vole survey across the site, with the help of our volunteers. We cover the ditches across most of the reserve to monitor the extent of the water vole population. This allows us to identify any changes in their distribution around the site. We are pleased that so far the water voles are doing well at Steart Marshes and making use of the whole reserve.
