That ‘old boggy bit’ in the corner of the recreation field in Crapstone is becoming a very special place. With the increasing urbanisation of our landscape it is more important than ever to conserve our natural areas, such as this small pocket of wet grassland. The field is owned and managed by Buckland Monachorum Parish Council; in January 2018 the half-acre ‘boggy bit’ was handed over to a small committee, made up of three parish councillors and a few local residents, to create a conservation area, along with a generous £500 to kick-start the project.
Our first job was to get Tavistock Taskforce to clear some of the brambles and rushes so we could get an idea of what we were going to do. Devon Wildlife came down and suggested a plan of action and our local well-known landscape gardeners suggested a selection of trees, shrubs and flowers that would look good and increase the biodiversity of the area. With the help of local residents, we planted trees, a shrub and some water-loving plants, some of which were donated to the conservation area.
As we were fast running out of funds, we applied and received funding from Devon County Council and Tamar Valley AONB, plus raised funds with a book & toy stall at Buckland Village Hall coffee morning and the June fair. We were then able to buy a hedgehog home, a couple of bird boxes and our ‘big buy’ - an information board all about our ‘boggy bit’, supplied and fitted by local Green Scheme Solutions, which specialises in recycled plastic products. The wildlife on our doorstep is amazing and so varied, we hope that next year we will have even more to share with everyone.
Susan Woollacott
Volunteers are always welcome - if you are interested in wildlife conservation contact swoollacott@hotmail.com.