Wicken Fen is just a small portion of the way this part of England used to be: un-drained fen once covered the vast lowlands of East Anglia. Calcium-rich water from the area’s rivers used to keep the area wet, but over the years development of agriculture and drainage has removed that natural watering system. The National Trust have a solid plan to keep the mature of this area flourishing and to further expand the area. They acquired the first 2 acres in 1899, it now measures 2,000 acres and their development plans see it at 13,000 acres by 2099.

Modern wind pump at Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, March 2020

This modern pump is a key tool in maintaining this area – it pumps water onto the fens from the river, ensuring the flourishing of its wildlife, and securely locking the carbon into the peatlands of the area.

 

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Copyright Debbie Smyth, 10 April 2020

Posted as part of Squaretops