Embedded Files
Read about the wetland habitat creation project in an old cress bed at West Lea near Alresford.
We'll update this page at the development of the new habitat progresses.
This brood of ducklings has taken up residence !
Stay tuned for our next planting week later in Summer, with a second tranche of plants.
Update 12th June 2026 - the end of Week 2 of our planting work. After 8 days work by a total of 25 volunteers, we have planted around 5,500 native plants.
Update 8th June 2026 - Week 2 of our planting work. Despite heavy rain, dedicated volunteers plan the next tranche of planting. Meanwhile, wildlife including this frog begins to investigate.
New planting takes shape. L-R : Yellow Flag Iris; Water Forget-me-Not; Water Plantain; Gypsywort
Here, Bob removes the invasive plant Monkeyflower (Mimulus) which forms dense mats which exclude the native plants.
Right, Mel plants Gypsywort in a marshy area above the water level.
Our goal is to reach the 6,000 plant mark by the end of this week.
WLFS re-wilding v0.2.pdfHere you can find out what native plants are being delivered in the first tranche of the project.
This illustration gives an idea of how the planting scheme can develop.
See the numbered key below for each species.
Plant Identification Key
Plant Identification Key
2, 3: Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis) – You can see its white, yellow-centred buttercup-like flowers and distinct leaves floating right on the water's surface.
4, 5: Blue Water-speedwell (Veronica anagallis-aquatica) – Growing right at the water's edge on the left, featuring spikes of small, distinct blue flowers.
6, 7: Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) – The tall, unmistakable clumping plant dominating the left-centre with large, bright yellow flowers and sword-like leaves.
8, 9: Water Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) – The low-growing patch at the front-centre bank with tiny, bright blue blossoms.
10, 11: Flowering Rush (Butomus umbellatus) – Rising straight out of the shallow water in the centre, topped with distinctive umbrella-like clusters of pinkish flowers.
12, 13: Reed Sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima) – The tall, leafy green grass species growing along the front-centre shoreline.
14, 15, 16, 17: The Rushes (Jointed Rush & Hard Rush) – These numbers mark the dense, vertical, spiky tufts growing on the banks and in the shallow water on the right side.
18, 19 (Top Left): Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) – The delicate, pale pinkish-purple flowers growing in the grassy patch on the far left bank.
20, 21 (Far Right): Water Plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica) – The upright plants on the right bank with broad, oval basal leaves and highly branched stems bearing tiny pale flowers.
0 / Unnumbered (Bottom Left): Gypsywort (Lycopus europaeus) – The jagged-leaved plant growing on the far left foreground bank with clusters of tiny white flowers tucked into the leaf joints.
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