This volunteer day was a welcome opportunity to work again at Swanholme Lakes, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) formed from flooded sand and gravel pits. Eight of us spent the day working beside the little lake called Tadpole.
Ruth, the head warden, had set us the task of coppicing the birch and willow growing along the southern bank of the lake. The trees are now shading out the low growing plants such as reeds, rushes and sedges which are so important for the insects and other wildlife in and around the lakes. And the leaves falling into the lake rot and release nutrients which are changing the water conditions and they are now not so good for the aquatic plants, some of which are uncommon.
We also had to create a dead hedge along a short stretch of the bank
which has been broken down, apparently allowing dogs to get into the lake.
This activity has also been damaging the plants and water condition. The
dead hedge is a good way to use the cut timber as both the trunk and the
branches are laid between stakes in the ground to form a barrier. It also
provides a good habitat for wildlife.
We faced a couple of problems: the trees were growing out across the lake and the bank was steep in places. This meant some precarious balancing while cutting down the trees, and we had to use ropes several times to make sure the trees didn’t fall into the lake, taking us with them! No one fell in but some people ended up with wet feet.
It was a good day and, in spite of the challenging working conditions, we achieved a lot.
Jude
More information about Swanholme Lakes.
In summary: The site now supports an outstanding community of breeding dragonflies. The open water supports several uncommon species of submerged plants and is surrounded by a species-rich mosaic of habitats. The sandy heath, willow carr and sphagnum bog form an area of county importance for amphibians and reptiles and support several invertebrate groups, including grasshoppers and crickets, bumblebees and solitary wasps.
Tadpole Lake: In previous historic management plans it has been noted for importance for invertebrate populations.
Link to brief explanation of the SSSI status:
www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002272.pdf