Wicken Fen is designated as a very popular attraction for many visitors. There is a 3-4 mile journey which is going through the Fen habitats and it is suitable for all. It is called Boardwalk Trail and it is available all year. Also there is the Nature Trail, which is more adventurous. It takes visitors further of the Reserve where visitors are able to see unusual wildlife like Bog Myrtle and March Harriers (http://www.wicken.org.uk/).
Wicken Fen yearly usage by visitors and local people is summarised by the following statistics:
- 35,000 visitors visit the Fen.
- 6000 school children visit in order to participate in official education programmes.
- 3500 visitors participate in events for families and individuals.
- 500 people stay in the Fen’s accommodation facilities during their visit.
The tourism of Fen is very important to the East Cambridgeshire local economy, as it attracts people to the region and provides local employment (http://www.wicken.org.uk/).
Studies by scientists and students from Cambridge University played an important role in discovering how natural systems and human control conserve the Fen habitat. Since the 1920’s, nearly every group of species was recorded at the Fen. Some groups were recorded much earlier than that, including certain species of birds, plants and moths. In many areas of Wicken, research still takes place. This is done by scientists from Cambridge and other institutions. Both of them are involved in the management of the Reserve (http://www.wicken.org.uk/).
The management of Wicken Fen
The aim of the management of Wicken Fen is to maintain the balance of species and to protect them. The strategy of the management in the Reserve is to revive the old operating plan of the Fen which carried through for a long time, making species dependant on the management. There are many plants and animals which depend on the management of the reserve. For example Sedge plant is regularly cut in order to promote the growth of other plants which are necessary for some insects to survive and breed. This strategy promotes motivation of the people working in the Fen. There is a lot of responsibility as the species population of the Fen depends on their work. This however comes with a risk, as human errors could impact and damage the species. (http://www.wicken.org.uk/)
One important aspect of the Fen’s management is the conservation of reed beds. This task is carried out on a four year cycle for three quarters of the reed beds. The remaining ones may be left unmanaged if for example they are too wet. (http://www.wicken.org.uk/)
http://www.wicken.org.uk/images
Since 1983, harvesting is usually done between May and August, although some areas are cut during September in order to help other plants which are food source for some species to grow. Sedge is cut in three to four year cycles. Cutting helps maintain the diversity of species and prevent the expansion of carr. Being carried out at different season intervals, it maintains a constant supply of plants and flowers during summer. (http://www.wicken.org.uk/)
Many volunteers provide a significant contribution every year to the clearance of stunted plants. This is usually carried out during the summer as more volunteers are available, although the ideal time for this is between late autumn and beginning of winter. The volunteering activity shows how important Wicken Fen’s role is perceived as, and at the same time promotes ecology interest and knowledge. (http://www.wicken.org.uk/)
The core strategy is to increase the size of existing fields by confining carr. Cut material is then placed within the fringing carr and not into regions of land that are likely to be cleared in the future. A diversity of carr age structure is accomplished by letting some cleared regions regenerate while others are included into a cropping cycle. () By increasing the boundaries of the fen from Wicken, it could be possible to conserve many populations of fen fauna and flora over a broader region, thus limiting the risk of extinction of species and enabling easier migration between populations.
Trees in Wicken Fen are a habitat for the insects and birds. National Trust’s management of trees is to promote safety to them and to remove dead trees. Priority is given to the trees which are located in the boardwalk, Education area and nature trails (). This may not be very beneficial as it may negatively affect certain species of insects that might be using dead trees as their habitat. One possible alternative might be that one segment where dead trees are kept could be reserved.
Should certain species of organisms become extinct at Wicken or wider area fens, there is a procedure in place for their re-introduction, provided certain criteria set by the National Trust are met. The process starts with the formal compilation and submission of a proposal to the property manager. A meeting is then arranged to discuss the proposal. The meeting involves the person that submitted the proposal, National Trust and Local Management Committee members, and representatives from the English Nature. If an agreement is reached for the initiation of a project, this is then transferred to the National Trust's Nature Conservation Panel (). It is commonly required that such proposals are not impacting any Fen’s staff in terms of additional required duties for the purpose of managing or monitoring the project.
Wicken Fen contains some rare species which some of them are not native to England. Rare species are closely monitored every year according to the advice of the Botanical Secretary. The other species which are not native to England are monitored according to staff availability (I. Sedgwick, 2002). However, it might pay off to establish a more frequent monitoring strategy for not rare species that are not native to England, as since they are not living in their normal habitat it would be easier for them to extinct from the Fen region. This could as well have a financial impact of having to go through the process of importing species from abroad at a higher rate. Moreover, the presence of more species that are not native to England could potentially leverage interest to the Fen and attract more visitors.
Many different species live in Wicken Fen and it is worth noticing that there are predators as well. This has both a negative and positive impact on diversity. The National Trust’s Nature Conservation Panel suggested eliminating the predators found in fen, but the Local Management Committee is still reviewing this proposal in order to assess the potential influence to the species population. Predator control requires long-term commitment from staff resources and it has to be managed in association with nearby land owners (http://www.wicken.org.uk/). The positive effect of eliminating all predators would be a more easily achievable protection of endangered species, and also the increase of staff resource availability which could be allocated to other important tasks. The negative impact would clearly be in the population diversity which would be limited by the elimination of many species.
The National Trust considers the acquisition of up to 3700 ha of farmland to the south of Wicken Fen, including mist of the catchments supplying water to the present reserve (http://www.wicken.org.uk/). The area includes over 100 farms, and the vision is that as the costs of land drainage increase and the agricultural sector in the UK decreases, farmers may be willing to sell (Sutherland & Kett, 2007). The restoration of wetland in farmer fenland could potentially bring other benefits. Amongst Cambridgeshire’s intensive agricultural landscapes, Wicken Fen offers a strong element of wildness in its fen, woodland and open water. At the same time it provides a reminder of the historical depth of human management of the fen in the history of peat and sedge cutting and in the restored eighteenth-century fenman’s cottage, the working wind pump and the old brick pits and kilns. The new wetland will lie just north-east of the city of Cambridge, the fastest growing hub of the UK’s fastest growing regions. If it were possible to create direct access to Wicken from Cambridge, a major recreation area could be added to the pressurised Cambridge Green Belt. The extended reserve could also provide jobs for the depressed rural fens, both directly and through multiplier effects from demand from visitors for accommodation and food.
National Trust celebrated 100 years of Wicken Fen operation in 1999. This event initiated a major project costing £1 million, called the Centenary project, which was a long-term programme that included the main work planned until 2006. The principal aim of the Centenary project was to re-build the wetland glory of Wicken Fen and provide the basis for its future presence and further development. The main parts of the project were documented as:
- The restoration of the Sedge Fen and Verrall’s Fen
- New Reed-beds on Adventurers’ Fen
- Biological Records Centre and Archive
- Improvements for Visitors (Sedgwick, 2002)
Conclusion
Wicken Fen is a natural wilderness. There is a major effort from the people involved to manage the Fen in a way that protects, maintains and develops the sensitive balance of species which has evolved over the years. The direction that management is presently heading towards is to re-establish the old operational practices that species have become dependent on. For example the Sedge plant, is harvested on a yearly basis and sold for thatching roofs. Ever since the first sedge was harvested back in the 15th century, it has been regularly cut. Therefore, a group of plants and animals have developed that are dependent on the regular clearance of the sedge in order to survive. Many plants and animals are dependent on such management to keep their habitats.
The current state of Wicken Fen is the result of centuries of management by humans. Many of the systems now in place have not changed much since times. Nearby areas however, have changed dramatically and it is very difficult to imagine how they all looked. Only very few places still exist where someone can experience this primitive landscape and Wicken Fen is one of these.
Reference:
-
I. Sedgwick, (2002), Wicken Fen, The National Trust
-
L.A. Sutherland and S. Kett, (2007), Global Biodiversity Management. BIO 3013.
- http://www.wicken.org.uk/images
