Dean Green Team

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

12 October 2021

Foxes Bridge

Grid Ref SO62171183

We were in a less used area of the forest at Foxes Bridge. There was a convoy of us slowly driving quite far along the forest tracks to get there as the nearest track had been blocked by a boulder! Our task was to build numerous small dams across a narrow stream to create a more boggy area with small ponds.

Our ranger is explaining our task for the day. After the area had been felled some years ago, a drainage ditch had been dug through it but, now, for ecological reasons, we were to create the dams to spread the marshland around it.

We cut and collected small branches to force into the bed of the stream and then filled them up with the twigs. This will allow the stream to continue flowing slowly but, also, create small ponds behind the dams.

Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

We found this little newt under some of the rotting logs we were using for the dams.

Palmate newts eat various invertebrates and outside of the breeding season they are often found on land, in damp areas of the forest under logs or other debris.