On Friday morning, a team of intrepid VBF volunteers took us to the river banks of Lightmoor in Telford. We didn’t just fancy a morning out of the office, honest…
As part of the Love our Landscape campaign we promised to dedicate 100 hours to help those who look after our beautiful countryside. On Friday we joined forces with the Wildlife Trust to help them plant reed beds on Telford Burrough’s Bank.
Unsure as to what lay ahead, our team of five faithfully set off towards the river with some of the Wildlife Trust’s regular volunteers.
Spades and reed roots in hand, the VBF team got stuck in, quite literally.
Why are reedbeds important?
Reedbeds have been identified by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group Report as a priority for conservation. They are amongst the most important habitats for birds and pond life in the UK.
Why is it important to restore reedbeds?
• As wildlife refuges for a number of endangered, rare, and uncommon species
• For Birdwatching
• For treating sewage and areas of poor water quality
• For Game shooting
• To act as buffer strips to filter soil and run-off from arable fields
• As bankside protection from erosion by wind, water and waves
• For the production of thatching material
Numerous soggy socks later, and the group had managed to plant all the reed bed roots around the river. The team was all in agreement - waders were essential kit!
We’ll be clocking up our volunteering hours over the next few months. Keep an eye on our blog for more information on Love our Landscape and the charities we’re supporting.