Released On 28th Jun 2023
Orchids thrive at Chard Reservoir
The three main fields at Chard Reservoir LNR are a haven for orchids and this year countryside ranger Hannah Stanton and work placement student Katelin have been monitoring the population of these beautiful plants.
Hannah Stanton said "We are so lucky at Chard Reservoir to have such an incredible population of five different species of orchid, but it does make it difficult to accurately estimate the numbers of each species. We do our best, using quadrat surveys to sample how many of each species are in each area. This year, we estimate there are over 7000 individual flowers! The presence of orchids is indicative that the grassland management techniques we use (cut and remove in September/October) are working. It is not just the orchids that benefit either. The grassland is awash with birds foot trefoil and black knapweed, which in turn attract butterfly species such as common blue and small copper. It's great to see so much diversity in a relatively small area."
