When the new pond on the meadows was dug, it had an unnaturally sharp edge between water and land. We had hoped that the normal plants of such water margins would establish themselves naturally, but that hasn’t happened: we suspect because of the weight of human and animal feet.

Just before lockdown we were able to launch these coir rings to help the process along. On these, water plants should be able to grow safe from trampling, creating a broader margin that has more wildlife habitats and is more attractive to humans to look at too. The plants should also help to improve water quality, by reducing the amount of soil erosion, trapping silt and consuming excess nutrients in the water.

Thanks to MCC and HabitatAid for their contributions