What would Beavers do?

The water is still rushing away from the marsh. Last week walking across the marsh was only possible with waders. This week it’s possible in wellies. In a surprisingly short time trainers will do. This is the annual cycle of water in the marsh. It floods in winter drains in spring and dries out by midsummer.

But all that drainage is artificial. Drains flow quite deep and fast, and if we don’t get more rain then the marsh dries out.

We have to make the most of it. So before light on the Equinox we walked out into the marsh. This area has been inaccessible for weeks, since just after winter solstice. Today, on Ostara, we were able to walk along an old path right up to the top of our wellies. But not over.

We watched the sun rise before wandering home.

Not long after we were back. Refreshed from our early start we tackled the rubbish along the end of the old railway line. We still haven’t cleared it all but we cleared a lot and we are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This lot was bagged up and removed from “round the back of the houses” to around the front. Someone’s coming to pick it up next week.

And that turned the dumping ground into a pleasant glade, more appropriate for one of the gateways to the marsh.

But that night, before I fell asleep, I wondered what would happen if the marsh dried out. All the tadpoles and damselflies and ducklings might have nowhere to live. It made me sad.