Introducing Milton Keynes' own floodplain nature reserve, complete with special herd of wild ponies

A special event is to be held next month at the city’s Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve, which even boasts its own herd of wild ponies.

The hardy Konik ponies are are ideal grazers for the Old Wolverton wetland site and provide a vital role in conservation management and restoring a wide mosaic of habitats.

They have a very calm and placid temperament and are not easily frightened, say experts from the Parks Trust, which runs the nature reserve.

The ponies are not handled too often as the Trust wants them to remain as wild as possible. But they are subject to daily visual inspections and looked at more closely once a week by our trained volunteers, said a Trust spokesman.

The aim is to return the area back to what it might have looked like more than 5,000 years ago – a wildlife-rich floodplain forest next to the River Great Ouse,

“Ponies like these may have inhabited the Ouse Valley many thousands of years ago. The Koniks, which originate from eastern Europe but in recent decades have become increasingly popular in UK conservation, will be found on the reserve for most of the year being moved in times of flooding or if they are needed to graze elsewhere,” said the spokesman.

The ponies, which even have self-trimming hooves, are the perfect breed to encourage biodiversity richness as they closely crop some areas of grassland leaving other areas of long vegetation untouched.

Next month, on Saturday February 4, the Parks Trust will be celebrating World Wetlands Day with a free event at the Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve, which is one of the lesser known attractions in MK.

The 50 hectare site was once pasture land, which was quarried for sand and gravel by Hanson between 2007 and 2014.

Once quarrying ceased, the site was redeveloped with 2km of footpaths, bridges and boardwalks and three bird watching hides installed, giving great views across the new landscape.

The site is designed to quickly fill up with floodwater when the River Great Ouse floods. A number of spillways throughout the park bring floodwater in at the west end and this then flows through the system, eventually running out of spillways downstream.

It was opened to the public in August 2016 and is one of the best sites for bird watching and natural history in Buckinghamshire.

Parks Trust Biodiversity Officer Lewis Dickinson, said: “There is an urgent need to raise awareness of wetlands and reverse their loss. We hope that lots of local people come to this event and take part in fun activities that will show why MK’s wetlands matter.

“There will be a chance to join guided walks, speak with biodiversity experts, enjoy nature crafts and take a closer look at some of the species that call the floodplain home.”

In winter, you can see wildfowl species including Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler and Mallard as well as less common species like Goosander and Pintail. In spring and early summer Lapwings and Redshanks stay to nest.

Other notable birds include cuckoos and several species of owl. Little Egrets and Grey Herons fish there throughout the year, and basking and swimming grass snakes can be seem from the spring to autumn.