Woorgreens Lake and Marsh facts for kids

Woorgreens Lake and Marsh is a special nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England. It covers about 9 hectares (that's like 22 football fields!). This amazing place is owned by the Forestry Commission and is looked after by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust along with the Forestry Commission. It's so important for wildlife that it's listed as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review'.

Where is Woorgreens Lake and Marsh Located?

This nature reserve is right in the middle of the beautiful Forest of Dean. You can find it on the B4226 road, between the towns of Cinderford and Coleford, and east of Cannop. It's also about half a mile east of Speech House. The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has been managing this reserve since 1984.

The land here used to be an open-cast mine, but mining stopped in 1981. Since then, nature has really taken over! You'll find a mix of habitats, including a lake, marshy areas, and open heathland. The main lake is surrounded by trees like Oak, Alder, Larch, and Corsican Pine. Special plans were made to keep some areas open, which helped create large areas of heathland, a very important habitat.

The water at Woorgreens Lake is connected to Foxes Bridge Bog, which is another nature reserve managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, just across the B4226 road. Nearby, to the west, is also Cannop Bridge Marsh at Cannop Ponds, another Trust reserve.

What is Crabtree Hill?

To the north of the lake is an area called Crabtree Hill. In 2011, the Forestry Commission removed ten hectares of conifer trees from this hill. This created a large open space that will slowly turn into more heathland. This new area will connect with the existing heathland at the reserve, making it even better for wildlife.

Amazing Insects: Dragonflies and More!

Woorgreens Lake and Marsh is known as the best place in the Forest of Dean to see dragonflies. Over seventeen different types of dragonflies have been spotted here! Some of these species are quite rare, and their breeding groups in this area are very important. They get help from other ponds and ditches nearby, like Kensley pond.

Some of the dragonflies that breed here include:

• Blue-tailed damselfly
• Large red damselfly
• Azure damselfly
• Southern hawker
• Ruddy sympetrum
• Broad-bodied chaser
• Emperor dragonfly

Woorgreens Lake in the Forest of Dean

Birds You Can Spot at Woorgreens

The lake area is a great place for wading birds, which are birds that walk through shallow water. You might see:

• Spotted redshank
• Greenshank
• Green sandpiper
• Curlew

Snipe are also known to spend the winter here. Birds that breed at the reserve include:

• Little grebe
• Moorhen
• Mallard
• Teal
• Tufted duck

The open heathland areas attract different kinds of birds, such as:

• Whinchat
• Skylark
• Tree pipit
• Cuckoo
• Nightjar
• Kestrel
• Sparrowhawk

Woorgreens is one of only three places in the Forest of Dean where stonechat birds are known to breed. Swifts, swallows, and house martins often fly over the site because there are so many insects for them to eat.

Near the woodland edge of the reserve, you might see siskins, redpolls, and crossbills. Hobbies, which are small falcons, have been seen chasing dragonflies over the lake. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) also keeps an eye on the birds at Woorgreens Lake and Crabtree Hill.

Creepy Crawlies: Invertebrates

A wide variety of butterflies have been recorded here, including the small skipper and common blue. There are also some rare butterflies for the area, like the grayling and brown argus.

Amphibians and Reptiles

The lake is home to the rare and protected great crested newt. These amazing amphibians need special habitats to survive.

The heathland habitat is also important for reptiles like the common lizard, slowworm, grass snake, and adder. This type of heathland habitat is becoming rare and once covered much larger areas of the Forest of Dean.

Plants and Fungi at the Reserve

Along the edges of the water, you'll find lots of rushes. In the open paths (called rides), there are many different kinds of herbs and grasses. In the heathland areas, plants like bell heather, ling, and gorse have grown.

You can also find interesting fungi here. The dead branches of gorse bushes can have yellow brain fungi growing on them. If you look under the pine trees, you might discover bay boletes.

Why Conservation is Important Here

Even though nature has taken over this old mining site, it still needs help from people to stay healthy. This is called conservation. The managers work to make sure that certain plants or animals don't take over too much. They have made a special shallow area for wading birds and have made ditches deeper. They have also planted new willow and alder trees.