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Godmanchester Nature Reserve: A Flooded Haven
| Published: 16th January 2014 15:03 |
Godmanchester Nature Reserve
Every year this beautiful nature reserve, at Cow Lane in Godmanchester is flooded during the winter which believe it or not is fantastic for our wildlife!
The River Great Ouse floods the Ouse Valley every winter, instead of the local towns of Huntingdon and Godmanchester. Water flows over our reserve creating wet grassland areas, which are fantastic for waders such as Golden plover and Greenshank. The water lifts seed and invertebrates up on the surface of the water making feeding for the vast numbers of Wigeon very easy indeed.
This beautiful wetland thrives on being flooded in the winter, reeds and willows onsite provide the perfect roost for thousands of Starlings. Flooding also helps more elusive creatures such as the Otter come out to explore the reserve.
Flooding at the main entrance However, flooding does pose one real negative for the reserve. Our visitors can't always come out and see our amazing wildlife! However, the old railway pathway is clear but muddy and you can catch glimpses. Now the Wildlife Trust BCN have taken over the management of this Lafarge Tarmac site they will be in the next couple of years be making some changes so that people will be able to enjoy the nature reserve just as much as the wildlife does, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
There will be an event on the 30th March 2014, 10am-2pm at Godmanchester Primary School, for everyone to come and have their say in what should happen and discover more about the reserve.
For more information about the reserve or how you can get involved please visit our website http://www.wildlifebcn.org/ or join our Facebook group ‘The Reserve at Godmanchester Cow lane'.
By Amy Robinson Ouse Valley Education and Community Officer.
Godmanchester Lakes NR (Foster's Lake) ©Henry Stanier The Wildlife Trust - Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire
Winner of the 2012 Peterborough Evening Telegraph Best not for Profit business award, we manage 126 nature reserves - all free to visit. 95% of local population live within five miles of one of our reserves.
We work to make these havens link together, helping nature adapt to a changing climate. By gathering valuable information about wildlife and working with landowners, the Trust also monitors and safeguards wildlife beyond the boundary of its reserves.
HLF
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 36,000 projects with more than £5.9bn across the UK. http://www.hlf.org.uk/.
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