The brief
We worked with a large utilities company to carry out extensive enhancement of an existing nature reserve in East London. As the region’s last remaining areas of grazing marsh and the largest reed bed in Bexley, this important site supports water voles, wintering and breeding birds and rare invertebrates.
What we did
- Cleared 20 hectares of vegetation including the felling of trees
- Excavated wader scrapes
- Excavated and lined a reed bed, covering a 1.5ha area
- Planted over 70,000 reeds
- Enhanced four water vole ditches and created two new ditches
- Built pathways and a viewing area
- Installed a wind pump
- Installed barn owl boxes
- Erected over 2km of stock fencing and temporary wildlife fencing
- Planted shrubs and trees, and treated invasive weeds on site
The site is a 25ha local nature reserve and is part of the Erith Marshes Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It is visited by many species of bird including redshank, owl, reed warbler and many others, as well as mammals such as shrew, field mice and water voles.
Thomson project manager, wetland creation, Crossness STW
