Brookley Reedbed Restoration

You can see the reedbed from Chestnut grove boat launch. With help form the rest of the countryside ranger team, Fleet Pond Society and volunteers we have nearly finished clearing the reedbed. The reedbed was getting very overgrown with willow and alder scrub, and all of the reed was in poor condition. A reedbed is a successional habitat which always wants to turn into woodland, so to keep it as a reedbed it must be managed by removing the scrub and cutting the reedbeds on a rotation (every 5 years).

The reedbeds at fleet pond are designated as a priority habitat in the UK and are home to important plants and animals. Bird species such as the reed warbler and reed buntings are known to nest in the reedbeds every year in good numbers. However over the years if left unmanaged the habitat is lost due to the encroachment of trees and scrub from the surrounding woodland, these create shade as well as drawing up the water from the wetland. Reedbeds are maintained by reed cutting, the reed is cut to encourage the new growth and to reduce the accumulation of old dying reed within the reedbed.

Since the reedbed has been cut the heron has been seen perching on it and so have 2 snipe.