Water Monitoring & Research in the Great Fen

The Great Fen, a vast landscape located in Cambridgeshire, England, and home to two National Nature Reserves, is currently undergoing one of the largest restoration projects of its type in Britain – the restoration and transformation of a landscape for the benefit of both wildlife and people.

What started out as wildlife recording in the 1800’s, an annual program of survey and monitoring on the Great Fen has developed into a more structured program to further understand the benefits of the restoration work being done.  

Coordinated by the Great Fen Monitoring and Research Officer, Henry Stanier, the program helps to determine the effectiveness of restoration and the development of habitats and colonization of species. This involves collecting data before, during, and after an area of land is restored and the movement of wildlife within and outside the Great Fen area.  

A wide range of wildlife is monitored as part of the program including birds, mammals, invertebrates, amphibians, and plants. Water and environmental data are also recorded, such as temperature, rainfall, water levels, water quality and carbon emissions. This information then shapes the future management of the landscape and provides visibility on any connection of species movement and population with changing environmental conditions. 

We caught up with Henry onsite in the Great Fen to learn more about how groundwater is measured, and the long-term benefits data collection has on the protection of wildlife and climate change.

To see video, please click here