In partnership with Bournemouth University and the Freshwater Biological Association River Laboratory, Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) is holding an event on Wednesday 6th April at its East Stoke Fen nature reserve near Wool, to showcase the tiny but vital organisms that live in the wetland.
This wetland is home to a huge range of ‘microbeasts’, which are invisible to the naked eye, but are the basis of the food chain, providing food for the initial stages of fish and other aquatic life. 100 species of these microbeasts, most of which have not been recorded anywhere else in the UK, have been discovered at East Stoke Fen nature reserve.
DWT Community Conservation Officer, Briony Baxter, said “We are thrilled to be working closely with Bournemouth University and the Freshwater Biological Association River Laboratory to share information about these amazing creatures with the general public visiting the nature reserve. As these creatures are ‘invisible’ it is easy to ignore them, but they are actually incredibly important and we’re delighted there are so many of them to learn about on this site.”
There will also be a new information sign for visitors to the reserve, kindly funded by Bournemouth University, to raise awareness of the need for protection for these creatures in pond and fen management plans.
ProfessorGenoveva Esteban from Bournemouth University, said, “East Stoke Fen is a hot-spot of microbial biodiversity.These small organisms constitute the foundations of food chains and are a sign of ecosystems’ health. Without them, higher trophic levels cannot develop and ecosystems cannot function. Fen ponds support a large biological diversity that makes them fundamental in safeguarding local and national biodiversity”.
Join the event at the Freshwater Biological Association River Laboratory at East Stoke, Wareham, Dorset, BH20 6BB from 10am – 1pm on Wednesday 6th April. For more information about the event, contact DWT’s Briony Baxter on 01305 264620 or [email protected].
