A great day working with Sean Wareham of DPM groundworks working on hydration ditches, over the decades most forests have had extensive drainage ditches dug, resulting in a drying of the forests, this has had a detrimental effect on the forests as a whole. By allowing rain to slowly soak into the ground over time, forests act as giant sponges, soaking up rainfall during wet seasons and releasing it slowly during drier times. Forests can also help reduce the severity of flash floods downstream through the sponge effect and by blocking the path of the water with tree trunks, branches and other forest litter. Forests provide natural filtration and can help improve stream quality and watershed health by decreasing the level of storm water runoff and pollutants that reach local waters. Trees also absorb nutrients and pollutants and transform them into less harmful substances. Forests maintain high water quality by minimising soil erosion, despite the very wet winter and spring the ground was so very drier than expected proving if we need to know this work is essential for the health of the forest.
