Nature Trail - Board 12

We are right next to the new fishing lake here. If you look across you might see some water fowl like Moor Hens on the water. If you look further across the fields you might see even more birds making the most of the food they can find out in the open!

Healthy Hedges

Like the nearby hedgerow, the hedges near here have also been coppiced and a range of species planted where they will grow together and form a great new home for hedgehogs, insects, birds and more! The work on these hedges was done about two years after the hedges at board number 11 – can you see the difference between the two hedgerows?

It is vitally important that we all look after the hedgerows we find in our local environment as they are such an important habitat in our ecosystem. Often they are the only way creatures can get safely around between different larger areas such as woods or ponds or other nature-friendly spaces. So make sure you take care of the hedges near you!

Compost

Compost is nature’s amazing recycler! It’s made from things like food scraps, leaves, and grass clippings that are broken down into a dark, crumbly, nutrient-rich superfood for your soil. Why is it important? Compost:

• Builds Healthy Soil: Improves the texture and holds water better, helping plants thrive.
• Feeds the Ecosystem: Provides a feast for worms and beneficial microbes, keeping your soil alive.
• Reduces Waste: Turns kitchen scraps and yard waste into something valuable instead of sending them to the landfill.
• Natural Fertilizer: Gives plants a slow, steady supply of nutrients, reducing the need for chemicals.

The garden waste from across Moss Wood goes into the large compost piles here, where it decomposes for a year. Then we use it to help the plants grow around the park the next year!

Wildflowers

Look beyond the garden blooms! Lancashire boasts an array of beautiful native wildflowers that brighten our fields, roadsides, and woodlands. Spot the delicate white stars of stitchwort, the vibrant purple spikes of foxgloves, or the cheerful yellow faces of buttercups. These wildflowers are more than just pretty:

• Food & Shelter: They support butterflies, bees, and other pollinators vital to our ecosystem.
• Unique Beauty: Native wildflowers offer a glimpse of Lancashire’s natural heritage.
• Resilience: Adapted to our climate and soil, they can thrive with minimal care.
• Sense of Place: Wildflowers add a touch of local charm to our landscapes.

We have lots of wildflowers around at Moss Wood – particularly around the two fishing lakes. They’re a really important source of food for insects and pollinators, which means that they form the base of the whole foodchain that keeps our local ecosystem ticking over!

Moor Hen

The Moorhen, with its dark feathers, bright red beak, and a flash of white under its tail, is a common sight along Lancashire’s waterways. Look for these adaptable birds around Moss Wood – particularly around the lakes and other watery spots. They’re excellent swimmers and divers, using their lobed feet to paddle along. Listen for their loud calls and watch them build nests among the reeds. Moorhens play a vital role in the wetland ecosystem. Help protect their habitat by keeping our waterways clean!