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North Cave Wetlands: Crosslands lake extension

Reed beds have declined due to development and destruction of wetland areas. This is why North Cave Wetlands is so important to allow us to rebuild what has vanished over the last few hundred years.
A muddy path at North Cave Wetlands - Photo by Paul Wray

Left hand side shows Trans-located reed turfs from the existing nursery on the right - Photo by Paul Wray.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust are building a new 25 acre extension at North Cave Wetlands, Approximately 10 acres of this will be reed beds and nurseries. It has been created with help of Breedon Quarry & SH Plant, who have been working with the team at North Cave Wetlands for several years doing the restoration work, all designed by ESP, supported by expert advice from Biodiversity Advanced Ltd.

By building levels from paleosols & clay the reeds have the right amount of oxygen and nutrients to thrive. Carefully controlling water level is also key to their survival. This years dry summer (2022) was a challenge, hence why you may have seen pumps moving water to help keep ground conditions optimum due to evaporation and the usual supply off the wolds drying up.

The reed turfs were trans-located by heavy machinery from an existing nursery that had been planted a couple of years ago. Once the turfs were moved the nursery was rebuilt for future extensions. The volunteers have nearly completed planting this nursery already.

Volunteers planting reeds at North Cave Wetlands - Photo by Paul Wray

Volunteers planting Reed Plugs within protection fencing. Photo by Paul Wray.

Planting plugs is very labour intensive. Altogether there are 20,000 to be planted - this is where the amazing Yorkshire WIldlife Trust volunteers and working groups from Arco, Aviva, Environment Agency & Close Brothers come in. We need all the help we can get, as we have to plant another 8,000 plugs before the frost hits.

Will you help Yorkshire's Wetland Wildlife?

You can help us build more reedbeds for wildlife by supporting our Wilder Wetlands appeal.
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Our reserve manager unloading reed plugs from the back of a lorry. Photo by Paul Wray

Tony Martin - Reserve Manager unloading 10k Reed Plugs from Mires Beck. Photo by Paul Wray.

Mires Beck nurseries provide our reeds (phragmites australis). They are grown using local seed, and by the time they reach North Cave Wetlands they’re already one year old. 

They're planted using dibbers and augers. One person will create the hole whilst another will slot the reed plug in. The plugs arrive in trays of 32. 

Future wetland being planted at North Cave Wetlands - Photo by Paul Wray

Future wetland being planted at North Cave Wetlands. Photo by Paul Wray.

Each year, as North Cave Wetlands grows, more and more geese are arriving on site. Geese love to graze and will try to eat our newly planted reeds whilst we’re not looking. Having learnt from previous years, we’ve installed fencing to try and protect our hard work from pecking geese - giving our new red beds a better chance of survival.

The varying water depths and reed levels will create the perfect environment for amphibians, fish, snakes and insects. Bittern will be seen along the reedbeds and water's edge - a deep water canal has been positioned with good line of sight from a new hide.

The root trainers that develop into the tall reeds take two to three years to establish. These are an important habitat for attracting rare species. We're expecting the reeds to grow between one to three metres high and attract marsh harrier, bearded tits, bittern & spotted crake.

North Cave - reed plug planting time lapse - Paul Wray (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKyZWQsKj5k)

Reed Plug Planting 8th Sept 2022 with YWT volunteers at North Cave Wetlands. Video by Paul Wray.

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