Latest news with #WickenFen
BBC News
4 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
Rare birds appear as Wicken Fen's £1.8m peat restoration finishes
Rare wetland birds such as cranes and great egrets have appeared within hours of the completion of a peatland restoration project, according to the National charity began restoring 590 acres (238 hectares) of lowland peat, a vital carbon store, at its oldest nature reserve, Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, a year ago. Peatland restoration project manager Ellis Selway said: "Seeing nature respond so quickly gives us real hope for the future of this landscape."The £1.8m works also revealed a significant archaeological discovery - a 5,000-year-old bog oak that archaeologists say is older than Stonehenge. Mr Selway said: "Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won't forget - it made all the effort and planning worthwhile." Peatlands, like those at Wicken Fen, store more carbon than all the world's forests combined, according to the National Trust. Part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, which had been reclaimed for agriculture during World War Two and was acquired in 2001. Despite being drained and degraded, it included an area of deep peat where an extinct river once flowed. While a full fen habitat will take time to develop, other notable species that appeared shortly after Burwell Fen was re-wetted included spoonbill and wading birds such as curlew and a pair of little ringed plovers. The ancient bog oak was unearthed from peat at Spinney Bank. Cambridge Archaeological Unit used tree-ring analysis to reveal it began growing 2,894 BC, lived for 222 years, and pre-dated the start of peat formation."Discovering a tree that took root nearly 5,000 years ago is a humbling reminder of how much history is preserved in these ancient landscapes," said Mr Selway. However, a find initially believed to be a 17th Century cannonball from the English Civil Wars is more likely to have been a rollerball from a 19th Century wind trust said the project was its largest lowland peat restoration projectEmma Ormond-Bones, Wicken Fen general manager, said: "It's providing the space and conditions nature needs to recover, while also helping to store carbon and make landscapes more resilient to future environmental challenges." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- Science
- South Wales Guardian
National Trust's largest lowland peat restoration a ‘powerful step forward'
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, which has been looked after by the conservation charity since 1899, has undergone six months of various works to help secure its future. One task was installing a waterproof liner along 300 metres of a perimeter boundary where water had been escaping, helping to retain moisture in the peat and lock carbon in the soil. The overall scheme spanned 590 acres of lowland peat. Emma Ormond-Bones, general manager at Wicken Fen, said: 'Nature is declining at an alarming rate, and the climate crisis is placing unprecedented pressure on the places and species we care about. 'This project is a huge achievement for the National Trust and a powerful step forward in the restoration of our natural world. 'It's providing the space and conditions nature needs to recover, while also helping to store carbon and make landscapes more resilient to future environmental challenges.' Another part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, which was reclaimed for agriculture during the Second World War and acquired by the National Trust in 2001. A clay bund was constructed and the fen was re-wetted, with rare wetland birds such as cranes and great egrets appearing within hours of the water level being raised. Ellis Selway, peatland restoration project manager, said: 'Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won't forget. 'It made all the effort and planning worthwhile. 'These birds are a sign that wetland life is returning, and fast. 'Seeing nature respond so quickly gives us real hope for the future of this landscape.' New solar-powered pumps are now helping to manage water levels sustainably. The restoration works also unearthed a bog oak which was then dated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit using tree-ring analysis. The results show the oak began growing in 2,894 BC and lived for 222 years, pre-dating the start of peat formation. The National Trust said the find was older than the stones at Stonehenge. Mark Knight, from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, said: 'This discovery exemplifies that wonderful relationship between depth and time, which comes with exploring the peat fen. 'Traces of past landscapes abound beneath its surface, and what's more, they come beautifully preserved and in clear chronological order.'
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Science
- North Wales Chronicle
National Trust's largest lowland peat restoration a ‘powerful step forward'
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, which has been looked after by the conservation charity since 1899, has undergone six months of various works to help secure its future. One task was installing a waterproof liner along 300 metres of a perimeter boundary where water had been escaping, helping to retain moisture in the peat and lock carbon in the soil. The overall scheme spanned 590 acres of lowland peat. Emma Ormond-Bones, general manager at Wicken Fen, said: 'Nature is declining at an alarming rate, and the climate crisis is placing unprecedented pressure on the places and species we care about. 'This project is a huge achievement for the National Trust and a powerful step forward in the restoration of our natural world. 'It's providing the space and conditions nature needs to recover, while also helping to store carbon and make landscapes more resilient to future environmental challenges.' Another part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, which was reclaimed for agriculture during the Second World War and acquired by the National Trust in 2001. A clay bund was constructed and the fen was re-wetted, with rare wetland birds such as cranes and great egrets appearing within hours of the water level being raised. Ellis Selway, peatland restoration project manager, said: 'Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won't forget. 'It made all the effort and planning worthwhile. 'These birds are a sign that wetland life is returning, and fast. 'Seeing nature respond so quickly gives us real hope for the future of this landscape.' New solar-powered pumps are now helping to manage water levels sustainably. The restoration works also unearthed a bog oak which was then dated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit using tree-ring analysis. The results show the oak began growing in 2,894 BC and lived for 222 years, pre-dating the start of peat formation. The National Trust said the find was older than the stones at Stonehenge. Mark Knight, from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, said: 'This discovery exemplifies that wonderful relationship between depth and time, which comes with exploring the peat fen. 'Traces of past landscapes abound beneath its surface, and what's more, they come beautifully preserved and in clear chronological order.'
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Science
- Leader Live
National Trust's largest lowland peat restoration a ‘powerful step forward'
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire, which has been looked after by the conservation charity since 1899, has undergone six months of various works to help secure its future. One task was installing a waterproof liner along 300 metres of a perimeter boundary where water had been escaping, helping to retain moisture in the peat and lock carbon in the soil. The overall scheme spanned 590 acres of lowland peat. Emma Ormond-Bones, general manager at Wicken Fen, said: 'Nature is declining at an alarming rate, and the climate crisis is placing unprecedented pressure on the places and species we care about. 'This project is a huge achievement for the National Trust and a powerful step forward in the restoration of our natural world. 'It's providing the space and conditions nature needs to recover, while also helping to store carbon and make landscapes more resilient to future environmental challenges.' Another part of the project focused on Burwell Fen, which was reclaimed for agriculture during the Second World War and acquired by the National Trust in 2001. A clay bund was constructed and the fen was re-wetted, with rare wetland birds such as cranes and great egrets appearing within hours of the water level being raised. Ellis Selway, peatland restoration project manager, said: 'Watching cranes arrive so soon after we raised the water was a moment I won't forget. 'It made all the effort and planning worthwhile. 'These birds are a sign that wetland life is returning, and fast. 'Seeing nature respond so quickly gives us real hope for the future of this landscape.' New solar-powered pumps are now helping to manage water levels sustainably. The restoration works also unearthed a bog oak which was then dated by the Cambridge Archaeological Unit using tree-ring analysis. The results show the oak began growing in 2,894 BC and lived for 222 years, pre-dating the start of peat formation. The National Trust said the find was older than the stones at Stonehenge. Mark Knight, from Cambridge Archaeological Unit, said: 'This discovery exemplifies that wonderful relationship between depth and time, which comes with exploring the peat fen. 'Traces of past landscapes abound beneath its surface, and what's more, they come beautifully preserved and in clear chronological order.'
