Wetlands are endangered habitats that are needed for many wildlife and people worldwide. England has many wetlands that have the most fertile land, where most of our organic food comes from. Other types of wetlands are:
- Swamps (wet woodlands)
- Wet grasslands (home to endangered curlews)
- Seagrass beds (home to sea turtles)
- Salt marshes (act as flood defences)
- Lakes, streams & rivers!
- Reedbeds (home to harvest mice on stalks!)
- Ponds, peat bogs & mangroves
- Lagoons & estuaries
- Ditches & scrapes
- Coral reefs
So how we do restore our native wetlands? Apart from avoiding peat compost (the most important point), other ways to help include traditional coppicing and pollarding to cut back tree species, infilling drains to reduce river erosion (raises water levels) and realigning fences to restore grazing of river corridors for livestock.
The Fens are located in East of England, mostly in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. This land is so fertile, that a huge portion of the organic food grown for veg boxes is grown here. So what are Fens? They are simply a type of wetland, fed by groundwater and surface water, with high dissolved mineral levels, and usually have boggy areas that have been damaged by land drainage and cutting down peat.
Preserve our marshland by choosing a peat-free compost like Natural Grower. Keep fresh compost away from pets (contains mould). Read more on how to make your garden safe for pets.