Last week, a pipe and sluice was installed that connects the Heart of Reeds with the meadows to the south-east. We now have in place a link from the spring in the woodland, through the design area, and out into the meadows. This link will provide a 'corridor' for wildlife to travel from the relatively recently established meadow ditches (in 1990) into the Reedbed.
This will have a huge benefit in terms of ecological colonisation of the Reedbed, for example allowing aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, and micro-organisms to move between the reeds and meadow ditches. This gives the ecological viability of the Reedbed a significant boost and has been a long-term management aim of both the Reedbed and meadows.

This week it is hoped that an integral sluice will be built connecting the design area to the Winterbourne, almost opposite the Norway Maple tree, to the north-west. When this is built excess water within the system will flow back into the Winterbourne stream. It will also be the method of draining one 'ventricle' of the heart when we need to harvest the reeds.

Top soil that was stripped from the design area in week one, is now being carefully spread on some of the finished banks and ditch sides. Reeds that were also dug from the design area in week one have had their rhizomes broken up and are being spread over this newly top-soiled area.
These will then sprout and form new reed plants. Additional reeds, which will be our native Common Reed, will be brought in during the spring and carefully planted amongst the new reed growth, some of them hopefully by school children and members of the public.

It is now absolutely clear that the final footpaths and bridges will be constructed in the Spring and that over the winter months, the site will remain secured for our own safety � the steep sides and deep ditches will eventually provide the design outline and habitat that we have been wanting to generate in this part of our Local Nature Reserve.

We are trying to do everything possible to keep the existing paths clear of mud but with Bonfire looming this Friday it is going to be hard. The site will eventually settle down � we promise!

week eight -->