Lowland Fen Restoration and Dead Wood Creation at Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve

Firstly, this project will restore the “Lowland Fen” habitat of Lochwinnoch nature reserve, a landscape of considerable conservation significance, listed on the UK BAP. This will consist of a programme of ditch profiling and vegetation control. In clearing a ditch adjacent to the Bar Loch, we will be improving conditions for otter, which is listed as a BAP species. We will utilise a Softrak machine to cut vegetation on the Aird Meadow, increasing favourable conditions for a plethora of rare wildlife, including reed bunting and grasshopper warbler, also listed as BAP species. Secondly, we wish to remove a section of trees from the reserve edge to create dead wood habitat, which will create significant benefits for rare species of bat, invertebrate and fungi.