A COLLABORATIVE project is underway on campus at Sparsholt.

Land and Wildlife Management students and BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation degree students are creating a wetland reserve.

The project was born out of the practical need to rejuvenate an area of land which was being flooded by the college lake. Stuart Robertson, conservation and wildlife lecturer, said “We decided that rather than just fixing the area so it didn’t flood we would embrace what was happening naturally and turn it into something that could be useful and educational for students.”

Students have been removing redundant fences and constructing new ones, cutting back vegetation and scrub and creating a stream to divert water flow. The project is not only giving current students hands-on experience it’s creating an educational resource for the future.

Mr Robertson added: “This is another great facility for our beautiful campus; it’s a great teaching tool which is on-site and easy to access.

“Other knock-on benefits include being a peaceful recreational area and re-opening a part of the campus which was unused.

“The area will have little maintenance once it’s been established and will hopefully encourage new species of wildlife to settle there.”

Upcoming work to complete includes installation of a boardwalk, more scrub removal to encourage regrowth and connecting the stream with an existing ditch to encourage an increase in dragonfly populations.