From the Usk to Wye Reserves 

 
The Usk to Wye reserve volunteers recently got stuck into clearing large areas of bramble in Prisk Wood. Previous work to fell Ash in this woodland meant the canopy let a lot more light into the understory, causing bramble growth to skyrocket. This unfortunately has shaded out a lot of the interesting and rare woodland flora previously recorded at Prisk. For example, Herb Paris, Early Purple Orchids and Hairy violets. Not to mention the swathes of Bluebells that carpet the woodland in Spring. With the dedication and determination of volunteers we are clawing back areas from the bramble, with the hopes of these beautiful plants reappearing in the coming years. 

Down on the Gwent Levels Reserves 

It's that time of year again and we have just finished our post breeding water vole survey down on the Gwent Levels, and this year's autumn results are looking promising.  

Back in 2020 we acquired Bridewell Common, a special site on the Gwent Levels and over the past 4 years, our team of staff, volunteers and contractors worked tirelessly to restore the site for wildlife. A big part of this restoration was the opening up of dry, double-hedged ditches to allow them to become open, water-filled ditches. Although this work can initially seem destructive, the benefit is clear once the ditch fills with water and the banks are lined with vegetation such as reeds and sedges, creating the ideal habitat for nationally important wildlife, such as the many water beetles that call the Gwent Levels home.

Another species that benefits from these watery habitats is the critically endangered (in Wales) water vole. Since acquiring Bridewell Common, our Evidence Team and volunteers have been surveying key ditches to start to build an understanding of the water vole population on the reserve. We already knew that water voles were present within suitable habitat on site, but as we have restored more ditches we have given them room to spread out further and, hopefully, grow their population. The ditches can take a little while to reach their potential. but water voles can be quick to colonise once there are stable water levels and dense bankside vegetation to provide them with all the food and shelter they need. After finding some hints of their presence on one of the restored ditches a couple of years ago, we were absolutely delighted to find that it was now brimming with signs of their activity. So much so, that we recorded the highest number of latrines out of all the ditches surveyed this year across Bridewell Common and Magor Marsh! 

Although this is exciting news, we can’t get too carried away as these results are just from one survey so aren’t a reliable representation of the water vole population on the reserve just yet. We will be continuing to survey the site over the coming years to help us build a clearer picture, but this snapshot is promising. 

Thank you to our volunteers who joined us for this seasons surveys and for those who worked tirelessly over the past 4 years to re-open the ditches.

Over in the Eastern Valleys Reserves 

Beavers have been absent from the British countryside since the 16th century, and with them went their natural flood management abilities! Our volunteers have had to step in and replicate beavers by installing large woody debris structures at Silent Valley Nature Reserve and have installed more of these leaky dams in October. 

As well as providing natural flood management through slowing the flow of water during heavy rainfall, leaky dams filter sediments and pollutants and create diverse aquatic habitats. For example, woody material in the water provides more sheltered areas of slow flowing water, creating nursery habitats and allowing emergent vegetation to establish as well as creating fast-flowing gravel areas in the channel. This generation of different niches enables a variety of species such as aquatic invertebrates to persist, in turn supporting other wildlife such as dippers. 

 All that’s missing now are our Beavers to naturally maintain and enhance this important work in the future! 

Off our reserves 

Elsewhere in Gwent, our volunteers have been working on a range of other sites in collaboration with community groups and local authorities. October saw the mammoth task of cutting and raking St Illtyd’s Church in Aberbeeg. Built in the 1500’s, this church is the oldest building in Blaenau Gwent. With its surrounding graveyard seeing little change in management over the centuries, it has become home to over 100 different species and is reputed for its fantastic wildflower displays in the spring and summer. 

To maintain its wildflower diversity, we have been working with The Friends of St Illtyd’s group to cut and collect the grass in the autumn. This removal of vegetation prevents it from rotting down and increasing the nutrients of the soil, which in turn leads to lower floral diversity.  

The maze of sunken graves and old headstones makes it a grueling task, but after two sessions we have made good progress, with one final session planned to finish the job! 

Top species sightings of October 

Autumn marks fungi season, with many of our grassland sites producing a beautiful display of waxcaps. These brightly coloured waxcaps are particularly special as they are indicators of ancient grassland that have remained unploughed for decades, meaning they are rich in soil biodiversity and valuable carbon stores. Last month, we held our annual waxcap walk at New Grove Meadows Nature Reserve, where we found 14 different species of waxcap and 14 other fungi species. The displays of Crimson Waxcaps here are regarded as the finest in Gwent.  

The waxcaps at this site continue to flourish thanks to the careful management of our reserves team and their volunteers, which involves cutting and raking the grass followed by sheep grazing to keep the grass sward low.