A newly developed amphibious machine is being used to cut through a dense jungle of vegetation to bring important wetland habitats back to life, not in Florida's Everglades but in Clackmannanshire.

The Swedish Truxor 5050 cutting machine is at work at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s (SWT) Cambus Pools reserve near Alloa.

It has exposed a network of open water, mud and swamp, which will make the reserve better for wildlife and should herald the return of cattle.

Rory Sandison, Reserves Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust said: “Over the past fifteen years dense reeds have choked a once open wetland on the banks of the Upper Forth. We’re now working to push back the reeds to create a diverse mosaic of habitats that is buzzing with life.

“We have already seen kingfishers, grey wagtails, curlews, goldfinches and many more birds coming back to Cambus Pools. The next stage will be to bring in some of the Trust’s rare breed Shetland cattle to graze on the reserve, which will help to slow the regrowth of the reeds and maintain the more open habitats.”

The work is part of an Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI) project led by the SWT, which was part-funded by the National Lottery and the European Life conservation programme.

It is closely linked to another IFLI project, led by Central Scotland Green Network Trust, to create a new access route to Cambus Pools reserve, which will also allow the SWT to bring its cattle on and off the site more easily.

Alex Page, IFLI’s Programme Manager, said: “The Inner Forth is globally important for its wildlife, with wetlands around the world under increasing threat from climate change and habitat destruction. So places like Cambus Pools Wildlife Reserve are vital to help us protect the wildlife that needs these wet places to thrive. The SWT'ss work is a fantastic example of what can be achieved, even in so-called industrial areas, to make the Inner Forth better for wildlife and people.”

SWT said Cambus Pools was a wetland reserve with reedbeds, grassland and open water.

"It attracts a wide variety of wildlife, including waders, warblers and wildfowl that rely on this increasingly rare habitat. It is located behind a large industrial area on the Inner Forth estuary and shows how even small areas of land can be vital habitats for wildlife."