Cors Caron

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Cors Caron is a raised bog in central Wales. The Cors Caron covers an area of approximately 816 acres, and provides a habitat for the endangered red kite, which was once nearly extinct before making a dramatic resurgence in the area.

[edit] History

The Cors Caron was formed 12,000 years ago, at the end of the last glaciation in Britain. The melting glaciers left behind a large, shallow lake, which filled with sediment overtime and became a forested bog. The trees living in the area later died (in about 3,000 b.c.e.), and the decaying remains of some of the trees formed peat, making the area into a peat bog. Some of the trees, which have been preserved by the conditions in the bog, have been studied by scientists looking for information on the past climate of the area.

For many centuries, peat bogs such as the Cors Caron were cut and harvested by the people in nearby towns, who would burn the peat for heat. Many such ecosystems were completely destroyed, and, as a result of international concern, the Cors Caron was designated as a national nature reserve in 1955. In 1993, Cors Caron was put on a list of wetland sites of international importance under the Ramser Convention. The bog is now mantained by the Countryside Council for Wales.

[edit] Bird Hide

In 2005, construction started on a state of the art bird hide in Cors Caron. It was opened in February of 2006, and allows visitors to observe the rare birds which live in Cors Caron from a more sheltered environment. The Bird Hide was constructed from sustainably harvested materials, such as Welsh Oak. The ₤80,000 cost of the project was covered by the European Union's Objective One Programme.