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WILDSPACE
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REEDBED
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Much
of the 350-acre estate at Holton Lee is designated as a Site of Special
Scientific Interest. As such Holton Lee has a responsibility
to manage these areas.
Holton Lee also aims to provide physical and intellectual access
to these Environmentally interesting areas.
There are accessible pathways which pass through coniferous and
broadleaved woodland, along reedbed edge and harbour-side, and across
open heathland.
The paths are furnished with benches made by artists that form
resting places, Interpretation panels placed around the paths to provide
intellectual access to interesting features and ecosystems, and
sculptures around the estate which are used as Waymarkers.
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The
reedbeds at Holton Lee are the largest in Poole harbour, and are SSSI
and a Ramsar site because of its importance for birds.
The reedbed is contained by the heath, the river Sherford and
Lytchett bay, and is the interface between terrestrial and oceanic
ecosystems, absorbing the freshwater runoff from the heath and woodland,
before it enters the harbour.
The important species that are present in the reedbed are
cetti’s warbler, reed warbler, and bearded tit, as well as an
occasional marsh harrier, hen harrier, or osprey eagle.
Learn more about RSPB
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HEATHLAND
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ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
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Much of the heathland was
reclaimed from pine woodland in the 1980s by the RSPB, and more was
carried out in the late 1990s. This
heathland restoration work has so far been very successful, and is an
ongoing process. A variety of heath plants, carnivorous
plants, and orchids can be viewed at different times of the year, all 6 species of British reptiles are present; and nightjars,
Dartford warblers, and woodlarks can all be seen across the heath.
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Holton Lee
as an estate needs to be managed and maintained; heathland, reedbed and
woodland all need managing, and ditches need clearing, verges cutting,
hedges cutting, gardens gardened, furniture painting, and gates and
fences maintaining. This is
all managed by the Environmental Aspect at Holton Lee which is run by
staff, trustees and volunteers. This team is massively supported by
volunteer help- over 100 volunteers each week help to carry out the
majority of tasks on the estate; over 90% of these volunteers are
Disabled people.
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Holton Lee
also has a strong commitment towards increasing peoples'
awareness of environmental issues. Each year we run a series of
educational walks and talks for heathland, harbour, reedbed and woodland
habitats, open to the public. In addition to this, we are trying to initiate environmental education
to school groups. The larger picture, is that Holton Lee as part of its
conservation focus, wishes to develop an ecologically un-impacting
building from which to deliver its environmental education programme.
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Please visit the
Driving Centre website
here |
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