Aquatic and wetland habitats are extremely special. Not only are they rare and threatened but those that remain are some of our most beautiful habitats and potentially rich in a unique assemblage of species. Watching over a wetland site can be totally absorbing. The busy world of dragonflies, water boatmen and whirligig beetles is fascinating. Not to mention the host of birds and other animals (including non-wetland species) that are drawn to ponds for drinking and feeding.
However, what makes these sites so rich and beautiful is the abundance of colourful and varied plants from those standing in waterlogged soils to others up to their necks in deep water. Some can cope with being submerged for part of the year yet left high and dry during hot, dry summers.
Slapton is a perfect place for exploring the plants of the range of wetland habitats that inhabit and border the Ley. The emphasis of the course will be learning how to identify these interesting species and to distinguish between the lookalikes amongst them – such as the sedges, rushes and willows. By July, the Ley should be putting on a grand show of colour with a wealth of species including Purple Loosestrife, Hemp Agrimony, Marsh Woundwort, Amphibious Bistort and Water Crowfoot all in full bloom. Accurate identification of any plants usually necessitates close inspection with the aid of a hand lens. And this opens up another dimension and insight into this very special habitat.
Note: Although we shall seek out some of the more robust submerged, aquatic species (that are so important in enriching the oxygen levels of the water), this course will not have time to focus on or distinguish between the more obscure aquatics – notably the many different fine-leaved pondweeds
