Sir David Attenborough is used to living on the wild side. He has introduced generations of us to the wonders of the natural world, from the startling humanity of the gorillas and chimpanzees in the Congo basin to the eye-popping deep-water grouper, 1,000ft down in the dark off the Great Barrier Reef.
This weekend, he stayed closer to home, opening the restored Woodberry Wetlands centre, in north London, set around 42 acres of reed-fringed reservoir — designed to attract waterfowl, song thrushes, kingfishers and Cetti’s warblers, as well as bats, frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies and damselflies. Here he reveals why wetlands are so important, and how to create one of your own.
“The success of a wetland depends on what kind of nature reserve it is: whether it’s a lake, a mountainside or woodland. There has to be a full community of animals. We tend to think of nature reserves as just being for one thing, but the fun is the community of living things, things that depend on each other and everything else [in the broader ecosystem].
“In a rich community like that at Woodberry Wetlands, where you’ve got phragmites reed beds and water, fish and insects, they’re all connected to one another. So it’s the complexity that is the excitement. And the more experts you speak to, the more you realise how complex things are.
“I’m perpetually embarrassed, because I’m not an expert in anything much, but you meet an expert, such as someone who knows about dragonflies — I love dragonflies, but I’m ignorant about them — and you learn so much. There are so many species you wouldn’t believe exist here at the Woodberry Wetlands centre. I know the common ones because I get them in my garden, on my pond, but the numbers that exist come as an astonishment to me.
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“It’s not about scale, either — even small plants, small herbs, unobtrusive flowers have their own intrinsic beauty and complexity. What has particularly struck me, though, is phragmites — a common reed and large perennial grass found in wetlands in temperate and tropical climates across the globe. It is the dominant plant at Woodberry Wetlands, and it’s important because of the various things that are attracted by it — the birds are the obvious ones.
“There has been great excitement here because of the appearance of Cetti’s warbler, which can be difficult to see. They’ve got reed warblers here, too. When bearded tits arrive, that will be a big day.
“I was just hearing about a psychological condition that people are beginning to recognise in children who are being brought up with no contact with the natural world — they don’t know how nature works — and how it affects their personality and their mental condition to quite a degree.
“Contact with nature is part of our birthright, and we should have a working knowledge of these things. I get letters from people who write about the solace that can come from contact with the natural world, and from the realisation that we are all part of this living system — we live and die in it. It’s the source of everything that’s worthwhile. Man doesn’t live by bread alone.”
Sir David’s top tips for creating a wetland in your garden
1 Choose your spot. A semi-shaded patch about 70cm square will do; among some lower-lying shrubs and plants is ideal. Frogs, toads and other cold-blooded amphibians enjoy a bit of sunbathing, but don’t like getting too much of a tan.
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2 Find an old sink, or a similar-sized container, and dig it in so it’s flush with the ground. If you are struggling to dig your chosen wetland vessel right in, cosntruct a few soil ramps so that water boatmen, newts and other wetland creatures can easily climb in and out of your mini water world.
3 Create an underwater landscape — ideally, you’re trying to make
shallow areas for breeding frogs and deeper parts for hunting newts. Moisture-retaining clay soils and logs will help to create an undulating underwater territory.
4 More logs — pile plenty around one side of the pond. Many wetland creatures actually spend most of their time out of the water. Decaying wood around your wetland will be a popular habitat, providing food, shelter and great sunbathing spots.
5 Choose your wetland flora — the artistic bit! Water plants can give fantastic colour to your garden, not to mention the fact that they’re rich in nectar. Try yellow flag iris, purple loosestrife and the beautiful golden glow of the kingcup. One of each can be planted in the soil shallows around the edge. And my favourite is butomus, the flowering rush [often known as lily grass].
6 Leave it all alone. The best bit about a wetland is that it doesn’t need much attention. In summer, make sure the water level is topped up with collected rainwater. In late autumn, if needs be, a little thinning out can stop the open water getting overgrown. Make sure you give any spare plants to a friend and help them to create their own wetland.
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Sir David Attenborough is president emeritus of the Wildlife Trusts; woodberrywetlands.org.uk
Get one from the experts: Berkeley recently launched the Nature Collection at its Woodberry Down development, alongside the nature reserve. Prices start at £425,000 for a one-bedroom flat; 020 8985 9918, woodberry-down.co.uk