Wetland Word of the Week 8
This week's word is...
... fen. A fen is the kind of wetland that is characterised by having alkaline or neutral water and peaty soil. They have lots of dissolved minerals. What we know as 'the Fens', an area of East Anglia, has largely been drained for agriculture since the 16th century resulting in a large flat area spliced by drains and dykes to keep the water away. There is lots of work going on now to restore the Fens to their former glory through the Great Fen Project and WWT Welney's work among others.
As with many wetland words, 'fen' is often used to mean wetlands in general, as with swamp, bog and marsh. But once you look a little further, you realise it is much more specific than that!
Words by Marianne Nicholson
Feature image of Welney wetland by Bec Greenaway
