Wetlands are Worth the Wet Feet, says Environment Agency Wales

Hilary Foster - a biodiversity officer for the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) - is helping to protect and improve the nation’s ‘wetlands’, a range of very distinctive and highly important ecosystems.

Hilary explains: ‘Wetlands are habitats that depend on water and include marshes, reed beds, ponds, ditches, and bogs. They’re dynamic, fascinating and very special places.’

Hilary is about to complete a wetlands project in Berwick near Llanelli - an area of previously developed and now un-used land with a network of ditches and wet areas that have become home to many creatures including birds, otters and water voles. And it is the water vole that Hilary has come to love.

She said: ‘Through my work I’ve become very fond of these increasingly rare and endangered mammals. They’re incredibly shy - it’s very hard to catch a glimpse of them - so it’s a real treat to see one and great to know that they’re benefiting from the improvements we’re delivering.’

Hilary and her colleagues have already created new ponds at Berwick to provide much needed open space for the water voles. They’re now working to remove extensive scrub from ditches and banks to allow in more light and improve the water vole habitat.

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity as declared by the United Nations. EAW urges everyone to do one thing to help preserve and improve water-related biodiversity across Wales. Visit the Wales Biodiversity Partnership website at:
http://www.biodiversitywales.org.uk/local_to_you-3.aspx.

Contact Rachael on 029 2046 6026 or rachael.mullins@environment-agency.gov.uk.

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