Study tour to Wales 16/09/2010 00:00
From September 1st to 7th, 2010 the LIFE project team “Restoration of Raised Bog Habitats in the Especially Protected Nature Areas of Latvia” were on study tour in Wales to get to know the experience of EC LIFE project “Anglesey and Lleyn Fens - Restoring Alkaline and Calcareous Fens within the Corsydd Mon a Llyn (Anglesey & lleyn Fens) Special Areas of Conservation in Wales” and “Restoring Active Blanket Bog in the Berwyn and Migneint Special Areas of Conservation in Wales”.
Dr. Joan Daniels from “Natural England” introduced the project team with Fenn's, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses and management actions carried out there. This is one of the three largest bogs in the British Isles. The bog has been partially damaged by peat extraction or has overgrown with Sitca spruce. Peat extraction was stopped about 20 years ago and at present the dams are built on the ditches to raise the water level in the bog. Sitca Spruce was planted in the mire and therefore has to be removed. Also a nature trail was set up in the site.
Mr. Les Colley who works for Countryside Council for Wales guided the LIFE project team to the sites of the EC LIFE project “Anglesey and Lleyn Fens - Restoring Alkaline and Calcareous Fens within the Corsydd Mon a Llyn (Anglesey & lleyn Fens) Special Areas of Conservation in Wales” and introduced with the restoration work carried out in Anglessey and Llyn fens. The management in the site is carried out with ponies that graze on Molinia grass, the grass is also mown or burned. To restore the hydrological regime in the site, dams and sluices were build, impact from other territories was reduced by buying the land surrounding the fens.
The EC LIFE project manager Mike Morris and his team working for the LIFE project “Restoring Active Blanket Bog in the Berwyn and Migneint Special Areas of Conservation in Wales” showed the project sites around Lake Vyrnwy and blanket bogs where bog restoration has been carried out since 2007. The area near Penan was also visited where excavator was currently building dams on the drainage ditches. Sitca Spruce plantation was there before. In total, the Welsh blanket bog LIFE project has built about 10'000 dams. Blanket bogs are being grazed by sheep, cows and ponies, as well as the area is mown to provide traditional mire management. To show blanket bogs to students and other interested parties the project team has guided the excursions to the blanket bogs to several hundread persons by car.
In the study tour trip all the project team participated: Project manager Māra Pakalne, project assistant Aivars Slišāns, field manager Gunārs Balodis and Public awareness coordinator Daiga Brakmane.
From September 7th to 9th, 2010 the Project manager Māra Pakalne and assistant Aivars Slišāns participated in Aberystwyth and Corsa Fochno seminar which was dedicated to the Welsh raised bog protection and management. Workshop was organized by the specialists from Countryside Council for Wales. It included both presentation and field visits to raised bog where with the discussions on wetland management and hydrological observation methodology were continued.
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