Hanningfield reservoir - hedgerow planting
The site
Nestled amongst woodland, Hanningfield reservoir is a haven for wildlife. The reservoir’s 870 acres (353 hectares) of standing water is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its breeding wildfowl. The gadwall, the tufted duck and the pochard, all of which are on the RSPB’s amber list of species of conservation concern, can all be found on the reservoir waters. The site is also home to pockets of lowland neutral grassland and lowland fen, marsh and swamp.
The vision
Reconnecting fragmented habitats at Hanningfield reservoir and providing habitat continuity into the surrounding landscape is an integral objective of Essex & Suffolk Water’s Branch Out initiative. This approach to wildlife conservation has already been recognised in the Essex Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscape vision, whereby habitats are managed, created and restored at the landscape scale. By creating large networks of inter-connected areas in which wildlife can flourish, species and ecosystems will be better able to cope with climate change; a phenomenon which threatens wildlife across the globe, including endangered species like the hazel dormouse.
Hedgerows for dormice
Dormouse species are distributed throughout Europe and Africa, with two, the edible dormouse (Glis glis) and the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), occuring in Britain. Whilst the former has reached near pest status, the latter, the hazel dormouse, is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species. Universal actions have been decided across the UK to aid the recovery of numbers of the rodent and the species is given special attention to ensure these actions are successful. Within the last century, populations of the hazel dormouse have been reduced to half their original geographic range in England and its decline in numbers has been attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation, inappropriate habitat management and a reduction in traditional management practices, such as woodland coppicing.
The hazel dormouse utilises several habitat types, primarily deciduous woodland and scrub. Hedgerows are also of great importance, providing the species with food throughout the spring and summer months and a route for dispersal between woodlands. Hazel dormice have been monitored annually at Hanningfield reservoir since 2005 along a nest box transect and sightings of nesting animals have been recorded in numerous years.
Planting at Hanningfield
With the help of the PTES, Essex Arboriculture, local landowners and the Essex Wildlife Trust, a total of 1500m of hedgerow was planted at Hanningfield water treatment works and privately owned land adjacent to the works in March 2010.
Children from years 3 and 4 at St Peters Church of England Primary School in West Hanningfield were involved at the very start of the planting and their enthusiasm led to 200m of hedgerow being planted around the football pitch at Hanningfield village hall. Rebecca Banks, Essex Biodiversity Project Officer and Roz Wisniewski, School Outreach Officer from the Essex Wildlife Trust, ensured a fun and educational day for all. Pupils got the chance to make their own bird feeders from willow branches, explore ecology further on a nature trail and discover more about their adopted flagship species, the hazel dormouse.
Jim Jones, Hedgerows for Dormice Project Officer at the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and his work party of volunteers planted a further 90m of hedgerow on private land adjacent to the treatment works, providing connectivity from the site into the wider countryside.
Hopes for the future
The hedgerow provides vital connectivity between small copses and existing hedgerows on the site and ensures food availability for the dormouse population. With dedicated management, it is hoped that the hedgerow will encourage the hazel dormice to continue to reside at Hanningfield reservoir and numbers of the species to rise in years to come.
Essex & Suffolk Water would like to thank the following partners for their dedication to this project:
Essex Arboriculture
Essex Biodiversity Project
Essex Wildlife Trust
People’s Trust for Endangered Species
| Document | |
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| Essex Chronicle - Branch Out |  |
References
Bright, P. Morris, P and Mitchell-Jones, T. (2006). The Dormouse Conservation Handbook, 2nd Edition. English Nature (Natural England): Peterborough. pp74.
PTES and Natural England (No date). The Golden Great Nut Hunt. pp 19