Mitcheldean Meend Marsh facts for kids

Mitcheldean Meend Marsh is a special nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England. It covers about 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) (which is about 1.75 acres). This important area is found in the beautiful Forest of Dean. It is listed as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) in the local plan for the Forest of Dean.

The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has been looking after this site since 1983. They lease the land from the Forestry Commission.

What is Mitcheldean Meend Marsh?

This nature reserve is shaped like a triangle. You can find it at Hazel Hill, just north of a village called Drybrook, near Mitcheldean. It sits next to a conifer tree plantation called Mitcheldeanmeend Inclosure. Also, it's close to Puddlebrook Quarry, which is a special area for science.

You can get to the reserve from a forest path on its southern side. There's also a special footpath that goes through the reserve. This path helps visitors explore without disturbing the sensitive marsh plants.

The marsh itself is a small part of a much bigger bog that used to cover this area. Over the years, much of the original bog was changed. Some parts were planted with trees like Scots pine and Norway Spruce in 1924. Inside the marsh, there's even a small quaking bog. This is a type of bog where the ground feels like it's shaking when you walk on it!

Amazing Plants!

Mitcheldean Meend Marsh is known for having some of the best collections of wet heathland and bog plants in the whole county. It's a very important place for plant conservation.

Some of the cool plants you can find here include:

• Bog asphodel
• Common cotton-grass
• Few-flowered spike-rush
• Tawny sedge

Other interesting plants recorded here are lesser spearwort and marsh pennywort.

Around the marsh, there's a drier area of heathland. This area supports different kinds of plants like:

• Creeping willow
• Sneezewort
• Common fleabane
• Devil's-bit scabious
• Purple moor-grass
• Heather
• Cross-leaved heath heather
• Bell heather

The edges of the reserve are lined with plants such as bramble, gorse, silver birch, and willow. In one corner, you might see rosebay willowherb growing. Its growth is carefully managed to make sure it doesn't spread too much.

Birds You Might See

This reserve is a great spot for seeing birds that like hedgerows and open ground. In winter, you might even see large groups of finches visiting the area.

How is it Protected?

The people who manage the reserve work hard to protect it. They clear away plants that grow too much, like invasive scrub. They also keep the footpath clear and open. This helps to encourage people to stay on the path and not walk into the marsh itself. This is important because the marsh is a very sensitive area for wildlife.