Stories Crane Park Island's Reedbed This Audio guide was produced by Theo Harrison, James Ferris, Jojo M, Dennis Watson, Jayden L, Emiliano Haskurti and Seb Rennie Text from the audio guide: "London was once a very marshy place with extensive reedbeds. As the city has developed most of the marshes have been drained and reds are now a rare habitat. We maintain the reeds at Crane Park Island to encourage species that have declined along with the loss of this habitat. This includes reed warblers and water voles. We try and cut the reed once every three years. You can also see many willow trees from this point. Willow loves damp marshy conditions. We also cut the willow yearly to promote their growth and to use the bendy “withies” that the trees grow during spring and summer. The aim of the Keeping it Wild programme is to empower and inspire 600 young people aged 11-25, from backgrounds currently under-represented in natural heritage, to gain vital skills while discovering, conserving and sharing their experiences of the capital’s wild spaces. Headliners are working in partnership with London Wildlife Trust, John Muir Trust, and London Youth to inspire the young people to investigate the issues facing green spaces and to engage with nature through social action projects and traineeships.