The Wetlands Restoration Project which took place between 1988 and 1991 at the Woodland Education Centre restored a number of freshwater aquatic habitats. Many years later, these habitats are well-established and support a wide range of plants and animals.  As a result, the restored Wetlands are regionally important for dragonflies and damselflies.  They are also a major amphibian breeding site and the Centre is used extensively for environmental education. 

The Centre is located within a south facing 50 acre steeply wooded valley in South West England. It is fed by a stream which flows into the River Coly, a tributary of the River Axe. The soil type is Cretaceous Upper Greensand. On the valley sides Chert (Flint) is present.

When the project started the area was overgrown with sterile rhododendron much of which was over three times the height of a person.  This alien species had been introduced when the valley formed part of victorian pleasure gardens belonging to the Bishop of Llandaff, Dr Copleston.   The two victorian boating lakes, now known as the Lake and Kingfisher Pond, were totally silted up except for one small flooded area.

Before Restoration
Click on a location name below to open an image

Schematic Diagram - Not To Scale

After Restoration diagram HERE         Map of Centre HERE

For practical purposes, the project was sub-divided into four areas to assist the planning and execution of the proposed work.  They are:

1) Wetland Area                                       2) Marsh Area
3) Southern Lake                                      4) Kingfisher Pond

WETLANDS PROJECT CONTENTS