New look nature reserve - a treat for bird watchers
The official opening of a new bird watching hide, bird identification panels and wetland bird ‘scrape’ took place at Holborough Marshes Nature Reserve, Snodland, on Wednesday 25th May.
Kent Wildlife Trust Chairman, Fidelity Weston (centre) with Nigel Rees of Lafarge (left) and guests trying out the new bird watching hide at Holborough Marshes.
Chairman of Kent Wildlife Trust, Fidelity Weston and Nigel Rees of Lafarge Cement UK performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of guests from the Medway Valley Project partnership, representatives of Lafarge and local councillors. There then followed a guided tour by warden, Steve Weeks, to show the guests the other improvements the Trust has made to this 35-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Kent Wildlife Trust manages Holborough Marshes - a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - as a nature reserve on behalf of the landowners, Lafarge Cement UK. Funding has been made available from the Valley of Visions Landscape Partnership Scheme, Lafarge, Heritage Lottery Fund and Natural England, to improve the wildlife habitats and make the site more accessible and visitor-friendly.
Chairman of Kent Wildlife Trust, Fidelity Weston, said: “This was a golden opportunity for local councillors as well as the partners involved in the project to get together and experience and appreciate the efforts of all concerned in helping to transform this former industrial site for the benefit of wildlife and the enjoyment of residents and visitors.”
Kent Wildlife Trust has been working in partnership with Lafarge since 1996 when it took on the leasehold of Holborough Marshes. One of the first projects to be undertaken was to gain control of water levels in order to create habitat for a variety of wildfowl and waders. The Trust also undertook a programme of restoration of the network of dykes to restore the habitat for some rare freshwater plants such as bladderwort and frogbit.
Careful management of these dykes has helped to create one of the strongest populations of water vole in the Medway Valley.
The introduction of controlled seasonal grazing has also led to the increase in numbers and distribution of the rare early marsh orchid which now occurs in substantial areas on the southern section of the reserve.
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