The last stomp

(for a while)

We Marshians were back out on the marsh at the weekend.

We had a mix of folk, some new to the project and some experienced stompers.

This amazing marshland a stone’s throw from Reading town centre has been transformed by Marshians who have trampled the vegetation into the mud.

It’s not all the vegetation. It’s a tiny little spot in a million square meters of marsh. It is though a very precious spot. It teems with birds in midwinter but in a few weeks it will be quite different.

Many of the birds here now will soon be leaving. They’ll head north to breed. Some will stay and more will arrive from the south.

So in the anticipation of the breeding season we’ll not stomp any more marsh until the nesting season is over. Between now and then we have the opportunity to study what our stomping has achieved.

This is all really experimental. We think we know what we’re doing but it’s all based on a hunch. With the lack of grazing combined with years of observation “we” think stomping the marsh is a good idea. But we don’t know for sure. Over the next few weeks we’ll see. We’ll learn a lot too. So many stompers have made a contribution to this and so many of them have smart enquiring minds. As the bird nesting and migration season will soon be here we have a whole new bunch of folks to observe what impact our efforts have made.

We’ve released a genie, and we have no idea what will happen, but we’ll never get the genie back in the lamp. Not that the stomping will have a long term impact. In a year or so without any more action the marsh will become overgrown again.

But if in the next few months our efforts lead to the sorts of things we hope will happen this could be the start of something huge. And here’s why.

First of all the life of our little marsh could be dramatically improved. More birds, rare birds, and all that that entails. More invertebrates more species of plant, Bats, Butterflies and Bees.

The day after we stomped the marsh a marsh harrier was seen flying over. A very rare and special bird.

More interest. Lots of people know the marsh is there now, and if we’re prepared to stomp we’re going to want to see the results. That in the face of years of neglect of this amazing habitat will bring a dramatic new focus on the marsh.

More studies. We have created an opportunity for people to study the impact of stomping. Hopefully we’ll get some actual data. That will influence what we do in the future.

Publicity. One day the Marshian stomping phenomenon will become more widely known. Maybe we’ve broken new ground. Maybe other people will want to do what we’ve done. Don’t forget we’ve done this after years of engagement to create a valuable wetland with all the “responsible authorities” and got absolutely nowhere. Imagine if people took our lead and just went out and created their own habitat.

Networking. I simply cannot get over the connections we’ve made. We’ve got scientists and ecologists, film makers and landscape managers, teachers and students, reprobates and enthusiasts all joining forces. It’s a powerful alliance of the nicest people and in the face of the impending apocalypse a chance for us all to make a tangible impact.

And the wildlife. This is a hotspot. Almost certainly in the top echelon of wildlife locations for some distance around. I’ve been to “nature reserves” all over the country. I know of precious few that can compare with Fobney Marsh, but it isn’t just the marsh.

There’s a lot of marsh that isn’t managed at all. Nature will have its way with these areas. They’ll be woodland in a few years.

As we won’t be stomping for a while I hope we’ll get together and explore the area more. It is a fascinating mosaic of habitats, and it’s so close to the town.

Most importantly the landowners might actually start to cooperate. Maybe they’ll lease the land to “us”. Maybe we could get grants to create habitats and maintain them. Maybe we could hold back even more water and create even more marsh. Who knows. The future is bright. The future is Marshian.