Great Fen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great Fen |
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Holme Fen
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| Location | Ramsey, Cambridgeshire |
| Area | 1,184 ha (4.57 sq mi) |
| Operator | Natural England and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire |
| Website | http://www.greatfen.org.uk/ |
The Great Fen is an amazing project in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. It's all about bringing back a huge wetland area called a "fen." This project is one of the biggest of its kind in the country!
The main goal is to create a massive 3,700-hectare wetland. This will connect two important nature spots: Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen. By linking these areas, the project helps wildlife thrive. It also brings many benefits to local people.
Many groups work together on this long-term project. They include the Environment Agency, Huntingdonshire District Council, Middle Level Commissioners, Natural England, and the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN).
Natural England looks after Woodwalton Fen, Holme Fen, and Darlows Farm. The Wildlife Trust manages the Countryside Centre. This center is used for learning and community events. They also look after other areas like Corney's Farm and Rymes Reedbeds. Rymes Reedbeds even has a special hide for watching birds!
Woodwalton Fen: An Old Nature Spot
Woodwalton Fen is one of Britain's oldest nature reserves. It covers a large area of 208 hectares. You can find it north-east of Huntingdon. This fen is super important! It's recognized worldwide as a Ramsar site. It's also a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Plus, it's a National Nature Reserve (NNR).
Woodwalton Fen is a key part of the Great Fen Project. It has many different types of fen habitats. This makes it a beautiful place with lots of rare plants and animals. You can find meadows with purple moor grass here. There are also tall fen plants, scrub, and woodlands. Many other grasses, sedges, herbs, and mosses grow here too.
Holme Fen: A Special Woodland
Holme Fen is located south of Peterborough. It's about 5 kilometers north-west of Woodwalton Fen. This fen sits on the edge of what used to be a large lake called Whittlesey Mere. The fen is shaped like a crescent moon. It's about 2.5 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. Holme Fen is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's also a special site for geology.
Holme Fen has the biggest silver birch woodland in lowland Britain. But there's something even more special here. It has about 5 hectares of rare acid grassland and heath. There's also a small area of raised bog. This bog is a tiny reminder of what the area looked like centuries ago. It's the most south-easterly bog of its kind in Britain.
Holme Fen is a very important part of the Great Fen Project. It marks the south-western edge of the project's second stage. You can visit this nature reserve all year round!
Wildlife Trust's Work
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire is doing great work. They are making the fields of New Decoy Farm better for wildlife. They are adding new ditches and ponds. They also use grazing cattle to help the land.
Rymes Reedbeds is also being restored. New reedbeds are being created on open water areas. Kesters Docking is being planted with special grassland. It will also have areas of open water and reedbeds. All these efforts help create more homes for wildlife.
