Tree Works Starting on Bettisfield Moss on 10 January

January 7, 2022

As part of the final year of peatland habitat restoration work under the Marches Mosses BogLIFE project, tree works are planned at Bettisfield Moss, beginning on Monday 10 January 2022. The works are planned at the southeast band of trees trees around the edge of the Moss, near the World’s End car park.

The work will be done by a reputable contractor and should take two to three weeks. The World’s End car park and the walking trails will remain open. Please feel free to go for a winter’s walk on Bettisfield Moss but do keep safe and follow any notices about the tree works.

Why are we doing this work? The aim, as far as possible, is to keep a substantial band of woodland and tree cover along the edge of Bettisfield Moss. At the same time, we want to enable the deep carbon-rich peat the underlies the area to be kept wetter to protect the peat. This will keep the bog habitat in the centre of the Moss wetter and also reduce the release of carbon dioxide from the currently drier peat beneath the band of trees.

What will happen? A series of linear corridors, each about 8 metres wide, will be created by selective removal of trees through the tree canopy. This will enable access for machinery in February to ‘repack’ the degraded peat soil to create linear peat ‘bunds’. The bunds help slow the flow of the rainfall from these areas and generally give rise to a higher water table on the Mosses. The works will be sensitively marked out by National Nature Reserve staff. In addition, some thinning works will be carried out to create a habitat link to Shropshire Wildlife Trust fields along Moss Lane.

How can you find out more? You can read more about the reasons for these works in a previous Meres and Mosses post here.

New Mosses Habitat Ploughs Ahead

January 5, 2022

If you’ve been out for a walk on the Mosses near Morris’ Bridge, you’ll have noticed work around the former scrapyard area.

The BogLIFE team have been using specialist diggers to spread the piles of turf that have been sitting on the scrapyard into a smooth ridge around the edges of the site. Work should be completed this week and, over time, this will form a wet woodland habitat of grasses and sedges.

What looks a muddy mess right now is bare peat, but that should green up in the Spring as it is naturally colonised from seed contained in the turf.

Removing turf allowed new peatland to be created

The turf came from the nearby site of former agricultural land that is part of the original peatland. Removing the turf exposed the underlying peat, in which the team installed bunding to control the water level.

Last summer, new Sphagnum plugs- the key ingredient in creating new peat – were planted into the bunded ponds. The plugs have established and the BogLIFE team are monitoring the plants’ growth rated. It’s early days but the signs are encouraging that the Sphagnum will grow well on the site. Management of the water levels will be key to the success of this planting.

So when you’re out for a walk on the Mosses, please wear boots or wellies as the tracks can be muddy this time of year. And remember to watch for signs of growth on the new habitat around the scrapyard site as well as on the new peatland across the main track. It’s an exciting time for the restoration work on the Mosses.

Peatlands Expert Richard Lindsay Featured in Gardens Illustrated

December 31, 2021

Garden’s Illustrated magazine has added peatlands expert Richard Lindsay to their “Horticultural Who’s Who”, highlighting the growing understanding of the importance of peat in the fight against climate change.

Richard, head of conservation research at the University of East London, is involved with a number of environmental and research groups working to raise awareness of the importance of restoring and preserving peatlands. This includes work he’s done to help map the peat levels at the Marches Mosses.

As he explains, “Peatlands are the Cinderella habitat – unnoticed and undervalued – but they do so much for us. Just the top 30cm of a hectare of peatland can contain as much carbon as a hectare of rain forest, and a typical peat bog is three to ten metres deep. It’s Nature’s ultimate carbon-capture system.”

Richard’s inclusion in the Gardens Illustrated Who’s Who is another example of the connection between gardening and protecting our precious peatlands: every bag of peat-free compost we buy for our gardens means more peat is left in a peatbog – where it belongs to help us all preserve our planet. So please join the fight by going peat-free!

Happy Christmas from the Mosses to You!

December 22, 2021

Everyone connected with the Marches Mosses is hoping that you have a lovely holiday! We hope you are able to take a well-earned break and remember that the Mosses are a great place for a holiday walk, whether on the marked trails, out to the Mammoth Tower or across Morris’ Bridge to Sinker’s Fields to watch the winter birds.

Never ones to miss out on a bad pun, we’d wish you a happy Christmoss, but that might be an, um, bund too far, even for us.

Photo credit: Stephen Barlow

Wem Library Hosts the Mosses Christmas Tree

December 16, 2021

Note: This post includes links to external websites.

When you visit Wem Library before Christmas, you’ll see the a special Christmas tree in the lobby. It’s the Mosses Christmas tree, created last year by children from the Whixall C of E Primary School and St. Peter’s Primary School in Wem. They designed the tree to represent the beauty and importance of the nearby Marches Mosses and displayed it at the 2020 Colemere Christmas Tree Festival. For Christmas 2021, they’ve brought the tree to Wem for display in the library.

The children created pieces of artwork that represent both the wildlife that need the Mosses to survive and important finds that archeologists have discovered deep in the peat itself. The artwork includes decorations that the children made on slices of pine trees from the Mosses – see how many creatures you can identify!

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Under the tree you’ll find several gifts. Some represent things that the Mosses give us: a tranquil place for a walk; the ability to hold rainwater, slowing the flow downstream; and most importantly, a huge carbon store, helping in the fight against climate change.

Other gifts represent things that you can give to the Mosses: keeping your dog on a lead when you take Fido for a walk on the peatland trails; taking your litter away with you after your walk; and, to be superhero, using peat-free compost in your garden.

You can visit the Wem Library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 – 17:00, on Fridays from 14:00 – 17:00 and Saturdays from 09:30 – 13:00. The library is closed other days of the week. You can find out more about the library and plan your visit here.

Morris’ Bridge Car Park Will Close at Dusk

December 14, 2021

The starling murmuration has moved on from the Mosses, so we will revert to closing the NNR car park at Morris’ Bridge at dusk each evening.

The Mosses are a wonderful place to visit in the winter, with different perspectives of the landscape. With the many bird species that use Sinker’s Fields as their winter residence, you never know what you might spot. So wrap up, get your boots or wellies and come out for some fresh air in the tranquil settings of the Mosses and Sinker’s Fields.

Mosses Murmuration Memo – please park at Morris’ Bridge

December 5, 2021

A reminder to park in the NNR car park at Morris’ Bridge if you’re going to the Mosses to watch the murmuration. The car park will remain open after dusk to allow visitor parking for the starling murmuration. So please use the car park and do not park on Moss Lane.

On the Mosses, the NNR team are continuing to clear damage caused by Storm Arwen. They’re making good progress, but there is still more work to do. So if you’re going for a walk on the Mosses, please take care.

Storm damage on the Mosses – please take care if visiting us

November 29, 2021

Storm Arwen caused substantial damage on the Mosses when it blew its way across the site last weekend. Numerous trees are down, with many others damaged. Some trees are blocking walking paths, including the disused railway line. The NNR team are on site, assessing the damage; clear up may take some time.

The roads around the Mosses are still icy as well, so please take extra care if you’re visiting the Mosses today or planning to come out for the evening murmuration. If possible, please delay your visit until the NNR team have cleared the paths and the weather warms up a bit.

Murmuration Watching? Remember to Park in the Morris’ Bridge Car Park

November 27, 2021

Going to the Mosses to watch the starling murmuration this weekend? Check the weather forecast, wrap up warm and remember to park in the Morris’ Bridge NNR Car Park. This car park will remain open after dusk to allow visitor parking for the starling murmuration. So please do use the car park and do not park on Moss Lane.

Please be considerate of the people who live along the lane – the lane must remain open in case emergency vehicles need access – and it’s just plain courteous to our neighbours.

Morris’ Bridge NNR Car Park will Remain Open for Murmuration Watchers

November 25, 2021

The NNR car park at Morris’ Bridge will remain open after dusk to allow visitor parking for the starling murmuration. So please do use the car park and do not park on Moss Lane when you come out to watch the starling murmuration.

Please be considerate of the people who live along the lane – the lane must remain open in case emergency vehicles need access – and it’s just plain courteous to our neighbours.