Since the start of April, a month usually notable for showers and protracted periods of rain has seen only 2.5mm of precipitation from the 1st to 20th of the month at our willow trial in Derbyshire.
The willows are rooting into acidic tars with an average 1pH, an extreme environment. The plants have had a good winter of record rainfall though and this dry spell is certainly making the root systems work to find moisture. In so doing the roots are descending into the tars of the site taking bacteria with them and breaking down the structure of the pollution. By doing this the process neutralises the acidity, removes and breaks down the abundant carcinogens, (PaHs), and vents small amounts of various gases to the atmosphere via the plant nodes on branches, stems and leaves.
The trial is continuing to be monitored during these uncertain times of Corona, Covid 19 virus by local helpers. This is fortunate and the Trust is grateful for their involvement in the scheme.
The Environment Agency and other regulators are monitoring the progress and are supportive of this work. University of Nottingham published their final independent report on the success of the work at end of February this year. The report states that the trial has already achieved the goals set as the parameters needed to demonstrate the methodology’s efficacious benefits as well as extra ones, which have all demonstrated that this is a sustainable method that allows wildlife to flourish in what previously was a death trap for many species.
The site is demonstrating that the methods used here also allow for a rich ecologically diverse flora and fauna to establish quickly.
21st April 2020.