Last year, The State of Nature report told us that nearly one in six species are at risk of being lost from Great Britain. The figure is sadly much higher for some groups – take birds, for instance, with 43% at risk. Whether we are nature lovers or not, we are all living in nothing short of a biodiversity emergency and climate crisis. That’s why active conservation management is vital in helping wildlife recover, enabling nature to adapt to climate change and pivotal in creating more prosperous communities.

At the Trust, we work 365 days a year to support nature’s recovery and our Reserves team are at the forefront of that. Here, Dan Townsend, Senior Reserves Officer, provides a first-hand account of what it takes to manage the reedbed at Amwell Nature Reserve – an internationally important wildlife site.

Amwell Nature Reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which sits within the Lee Valley and forms part of the Special Protection Area (SPA) – a strictly protected site for rare and vulnerable birds and for regularly occurring migratory species, and Ramsar site – a wetland considered to be of international significance. It is a nationally important site for wintering birds including Bitterns – a member of the heron family that was on the brink of extinction in the UK in the 1990s. Currently Bitterns use this reserve to overwinter however there have been hopes that this will become a breeding site for them, which could come soon. A Bittern was heard booming for the first time at Amwell in March this year - the call a Bittern makes when attempting to attract a mate.

There is just over two hectares of reedbed at Amwell which the Trust manages. This is done by rotational cutting of the reed and the removal of trees and scrub encroaching into the reedbed. We also have a volunteer who manages the water levels with the use of a sluice gate that lets water out into the river, raising them in the winter for feeding ducks and lowering them in the summer to allow for breeding waterfowl and waders.

Catching up on lost time

Since the pandemic many of these activities had come to a stop allowing trees and low-lying scrub to encroach into the reedbed. With the help of our many volunteers, our team have spent hours manually removing the trees with the use of tree poppers, a tool that pulls saplings out from the roots and prevents further growth. In some of the drier parts of the reedbed, bramble scrub had started to establish. This was tackled by our volunteers with the use of brushcutters to prevent them from spreading further into the reedbed leaving some areas of bramble for nesting birds. This winter, for the first time since the pandemic, the team and volunteers managed to cut an area of the reedbed to allow for regeneration and create structural diversity within the reedbed. This is important to create a variety of age structure and diversity to benefit a range of aquatic plants such as Water Mint and a range of nesting warblers such as Reed, Sedge and Cettis Warbler.  

Specialist works and training to benefit the reedbed

Over the last few years, the Trust have secured funding from the Environment Agency (EA) to help with the management of Amwell. Thanks to this funding, we have managed to employ contractors to carry out works which require specialist equipment and training. One of our annual tasks is to cut scallops into the reedbed which benefit Bitterns for their feeding patterns. This is carried out using a machine called a Truxor - an aquatic vehicle which has a reciprocating cutting bar and a rake to cut and collect reed material from the reedbeds. Done from the water, the machine cuts into the reedbed while maintaining some cover for the Bitterns to feed.

Scrapes and pools for wildlife’s welfare

Another big project the Trust carried out this winter was to create further scrapes and pools within parts of the reedbed. This was done using a digger bucket, scraping back the soil and taking out the roots to allow for bare patches. This benefits a range of birds including waders but also acts as a fish refuge area. These essential works could not have taken place without the EA’s funding.

Looking ahead

Moving forward, our team will now continue to rotationally cut sections of the reedbed to create a range of age and structure within the reedbed and be able to keep on top of encroaching scrub. The EA funding will also enable excavation to create further scrapes within the reedbed and help with the maintenance of this important habitat.

Find out more

• You can find more information about Amwell Nature Reserve, including visiting tips to enjoy its mosaic of wetland, reedbed, grassland and woodland habitats here.
• Discover why the Bittern’s booming at Amwell made the news here.
• Could you lend a hand? Take your first steps towards volunteering by finding out more about our practical work parties here.