Devon Wetlands get funding boost

01/09/2006 00:00:00 Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has received just under £10,000 to fund a range of conservation work to help protect and enhance some of its key wetland sites around Devon. The grant has been provided by the Pennon Environmental Fund which is funded through landfill tax credits. The work will concentrate on three key DWT nature reserves, Old Sludge Beds, Exe Reed Beds and Wolborough Fen. The work at the Old Sludge Beds and Exe Reed Beds on the outskirts of Exeter has two main purposes. The first is to improve conditions for birds, invertebrates and bats by providing important open water within the site and the second is to set up a system to monitor the fluctuations of the tidal reed bed habitat.

The work at Wolborough Fen near Newton Abbot will try to address the drying out of this wetland which if left unchecked would eventually lead to the loss of this rare community of plants and animals. DWT will employ specialist hydrological consultants to start to find out how this might be averted.

Matt Boydell, DWT’s Nature Reserves Manager said: ‘Wolborough Fen is the counties only fen so we are particularly concerned to make sure it survives for future generations to enjoy. This grant is also a major boost for our conservation work in the Exeter area and will help species such as reed, Cetti’s and sedge warblers along with a host of dragonflies and other invertebrates. We would like to thank the Pennon Environment Fund for putting Devon’s wetlands at the top of their agenda.’

The work is due to be completed by March 2008.