Survey : Would you rather be raised by fire ants, killer bees or a pack of wolves?
Image by antonychammond
This was taken at the Stodmarsh Nature Reserve in Kent. Stodmarsh has a long history of human activity that has shaped the landscape you see today.
It has been used by medieval monks to graze horses, as a colliery at the start of the 20th century, and as a duck shooting area in the 1930s.
The reserve, which covers 249.9 hectares, lies in the floodplain of the river Stour and has always been marshy. Subsidence caused ny mining caused much of the reserve to become wetter, and this eventually led to the formation of the lake and reedbeds at the western end of the site.
The Grove area of the reserve is a more recent addition. Purchased by Natural England in 1998, it has been enhanced with the creation of additional pools, reedbeds and grazing marshes, with water levels raised across the land to make it much more attractive to wildlife.
The area has been protected and managed for nature conservation for over 40 years and, despite all the changes in land use, probably looks much the same now as it did in medieval times.
Reed beds
Stodmarsh NNR has the largest reed bed in the South East of England, which supports a range of specialised birds and insects. The reed beds are an excellent sanctuary for migrating birds such as swallows and house martins in the summer and starlings in the winter; sometimes thousands can be seen here as they stop overnight before continuing their journey in the morning. Natural England manage this habitat to make it attractive to wildlife by cutting reeds in rotation, controlling scrub and managing water levels.
Grazing marsh
Natural England control water levels so that there is some surface flooding amongst the grass that benefits the wintering and breeding birds that flock here. Local farmers graze cattle on the marsh to keep the grass short and tussocky, and in late summer each year the grass is cut back to a manageable height. In some area longer grass and sedges are encouraged to help species like snipe.
While cattle graze the marsh from May to November, to coincide with the growing season, a small herd of wild Polish ponies called Koniks are left to graze all year round.
Lakes and pools
The lakes and pools at Stodmarsh NNR are full of invertebrates and fish. They range in size from small larvae and fish fry to large carp and pike. In early summer, you may see large fish in the main lake splashing around in the shallows and swimming into the reeds as they spawn. In the autumn, the water levels are lowered in some of the lakes and pools to expose bare mud for migrating wading birds. The fish provide a key food source for many birds like kingfisher, cormorant, grey heron and little egret, and occasionally attract osprey, too.
Ditches
The ditches allow us to move water around the Reserve and they provide a habitat for a range of rare plants like sharp-leaved pondweed, mammals like water vole and invertebrates like the shining ramshorn snail. The water levels are controlled to stop them drying up and they are cleared out periodically to prevent them becoming completely dominated by reeds or scrub.
For further information please visit www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designated…
Question by Are You Cereal? (Violated Again): Survey : Would you rather be raised by fire ants, killer bees or a pack of wolves?
Can you help? Leave your own answer in the comments!
38 Responses to Survey : Would you rather be raised by fire ants, killer bees or a pack of wolves?
Leave a Reply
A pack of wolves (I’m allergic to bees and too big for ants).
Gazelle
January 7, 2012 at 2:47 am
Pack of Wolves!
It has always been my dream to meet my far off relatives!
love2B
January 7, 2012 at 3:43 am
a cow.
a
January 7, 2012 at 4:20 am
fire ants
SNEAKY SNAKE
January 7, 2012 at 4:56 am
A pack of wolves
LittleSis
January 7, 2012 at 5:08 am
I was raised by a pack of wolves – given my druthers, I’ld rather try the fire ants
Tink
January 7, 2012 at 5:13 am
wolves definitely
marie s
January 7, 2012 at 5:29 am
A pack of wolves, they could act more like parents than the ants or bees. It’s even been prooven that if a mother wolf finds a helpless baby she will raise it.
The Majesty of Colors♂
January 7, 2012 at 6:07 am
wolves they are so much cooler
Ella~M
January 7, 2012 at 6:57 am
Pack of wolves.
ZenobiaMiya
January 7, 2012 at 7:35 am
Fire ants.
Support Our Troops {IAVA}
January 7, 2012 at 7:48 am
Wolves. I’m allergic to bees, and it’s hard to snuggle with ants.
But Inside I'm Screaming
January 7, 2012 at 8:36 am
fire ants….. i would be a spy in the human world and sabotage so the ants rule!
Don't take mah bucket!!!!!
January 7, 2012 at 8:45 am
Wolves, preferably Apes
Brains...
January 7, 2012 at 9:10 am
wolves
Lilah
January 7, 2012 at 9:43 am
a pack of wolves. they remind me of my doggy haha.
dcdiamond
January 7, 2012 at 10:03 am
Wolves. Although i might get torn to pieces, first.
m☼n↨qùε™
January 7, 2012 at 11:01 am
Wolves.
than bees
than ants if there is time…but there wont be…
Mikki ♪♫
January 7, 2012 at 11:27 am
Wolves!
cassie j (new avatar)
January 7, 2012 at 11:30 am
Killer Bees can fly
🙂
i_rock_socks7
January 7, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I would pick the wolves because all the bees will do is kill me eventually and the fire ants- bah I hate ants after the incident when I was 4.. Just never try eating alive red ants- it sucks.
Sure the wolves might kill me, but then again- they are my favorite animal 🙂
Karma, karma, karma.
January 7, 2012 at 1:06 pm
wolves…… werewolves to be exacctt…
Twihard fans know what im talking about 🙂
my golden vampire eyes hypnotize
January 7, 2012 at 1:46 pm
pack of wolves… it seems like the natural choice out of the other two LOL
♥AlyssasMommy♥
January 7, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Wolves are at least furry, and warm blooded, and maybe if you’re lucky they’ll snuggle with you on a cold winter night. I’ll choose wolves.
wisebeyond
January 7, 2012 at 3:04 pm
Fire ants are the only ones of those three groups that have attacked me. I was bitten multiple times on both arms.
Since somewhere in my body is fire ant dna, I suppose I’m predestined to choose them.
Abby Normal-Kringle
January 7, 2012 at 3:26 pm
a pack of wolves.
i hate bugs.
Colorful Volkswagon
January 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm
guess i’ll be howlin’ at the moon tonight.
lily
January 7, 2012 at 4:12 pm
pack of wolves, they’d accept you in their little pack as one of their own
hilochickalo
January 7, 2012 at 4:37 pm
wolves, at least they can hunt 4 you
ELLI
January 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm
A pack of wolves..and I would be the Alpha.
Whitney
January 7, 2012 at 5:37 pm
I think I’ll dance with the wolves. They could get me more food for one thing.
Santa is My Homeboy
January 7, 2012 at 5:53 pm
Killer bees! They rarely attack their own kind.
Why's the rum gone? ☺☮♥ ツ♫
January 7, 2012 at 5:58 pm
A pack of wolves…..that would be awesome..
gypsy giraffe
January 7, 2012 at 6:19 pm
wolves, cuz i hate bees and if i sat on my ant neighbors i would get bitten.
godluvsme
January 7, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Raised by big cats. Excellent mothers, hunters, are stealthy and very protective.
Mera
January 7, 2012 at 7:32 pm
A Pack Of Cerebral Wolves, I believe they have been known to get weird,( a good thing) and they like Cereal at all of their meals…..
mixed
January 7, 2012 at 7:52 pm
Pack of wolves. They could keep me warm in the winter!
metsgal31
January 7, 2012 at 7:55 pm
pack of wolves babe… ahhhhh ewwwwww!!!
Dianne G
January 7, 2012 at 8:51 pm