Set in the heart of the city, nestled between the railway line and Waterhouse Lane, you will find the special site of Marconi Local Nature Reserve.
The site, managed by Marconi Ponds Friends Group with support from Chelmsford City Councils Parks Team, has once again received a Green Flag Community Award. This is a national award given by the Green Flag Award Scheme in recognition of high-quality green spaces managed by voluntary and community groups. A great achievement and the result of a lot of hard work by everyone.
The group meet once a month to help look after and work on the site and new volunteers are always very welcome. For more information, visit their website: https://www.marconiponds.co.uk/ and find out how you can get involved.
Marconi Ponds LNR has three main habitats that are perfect for wildlife: woodland, water, and an area of small open meadow.
One species that thrives on the site and uses the area as part of its feeding grounds are bats. The Friends Group have recently purchased six bat boxes, installed by professionals on trees within the site, and have already found both Common and Soprano Pipistrelles feeding over the ponds. An ecologist will be surveying the reserve over the coming months to monitor bat activity and to see what else the group can do to make the site as bat friendly as possible.
If you live nearby or walk by the site, please let us know what bats you see in the area.
